ALBERT GUEST ADSHEAD
15 September 1873 - 19 June 1917
At School 1887 - 1889
Pte 624821 50th Canadian Infantry
Albert (Bert) Adshead entered the school at it's first opening in January 1887 and is possibly one of the boys in the photograph of the inaugural class shown right. Bert was born in Withington and lived at 27 Demesne Road, Whalley Range, with father Benjamin, a property owner and manager, mother Ellen, six brothers and sisters and one servant.
Bert represented the School on the 1st Elevens at cricket and football.
On leaving school in 1889 Bert was employed as a Wholesale Grocer's Clerk. In 1901 he emigrated to Alberta, Canada,where he became a farmer and rancher, his two younger brothers joining him a few years later.
Bert attested on 15 February 1916 at Stettler, Alberta, in the 151st Overseas Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force. The 151st, consisting of 29 Officers and 925 other ranks, arrived in England on 13 October 1916 and was absorbed into the 9th Reserve Battalion, which provided reinforcements for the Alberta Regiment on the Western Front.
& back areas, and was not completed until 3.25 a.m. (20th inst). Casualties - 3 O Rs killed, 5 O Rs wounded."
Bert was one of the three other ranks killed that day by the shelling suffered while going into the line, his casualty report card stating "Instantly killed by a direct hit from an enemy shell."
Bert's body was buried where he fell,his grave location report stating "3/4 mile West of Avion, 1 and 1/2 miles South West of Lens. Map location - Sh 36c. M.36.b.65.10.
His grave was lost in later battles and his body never recovered. He is commemorated on the Vimy Memorial to the Missing.
