Albert Towse was born at Pannal in 1896, one of six children born to George and Annie Towse. At the time of the 1911 Census, Albert was a 15-year-old errand boy living at Burn Bridge with his parents, brother Frank and sister Lucy; an older brother, George, was serving as a signalman on the battleship HMS Agamemnon.
Albert would have attested to serve under the Derby Scheme towards the end of 1915, and was called up on 20th January 1916. After training, he was posted to France to join B Company of the 16th Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment (1st Bradford Pals) as part of the reinforcements to replace the terrible losses experienced by the battalion on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme.
Towards the end of February 1917, it became evident that the German withdrawal from the Somme battle front to the Siegfried Stellung (Hindenburg Line) was underway. The 16th West Yorkshires moved into the line in the Hebuterne sector on 26th February, and on the following day made an attack on Rossignol Wood. The battalion's commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel A. C. Croydon, wrote the following report on the attack:
On the evening of the 26th February I received orders that the battalion under my command was to carry out an attack on ROSSIGNOL WOOD at 6.30am on the morning of the 27th, two companies to form the firing line with two companies in support.
The two front companies were ordered to be clear of a line of posts on the GOMMECOURT - PUISIEUX ROAD at 6.30am.
I sent forward my 2nd-in-command, signalling officer, medical officer and intelligence officer to take up a position at the CRUCIFIX.
A line was laid to my headquarters at WOMAN STREET where I was kept in touch with the companies taking part in the attack.
I sent forward with my left company my Lewis gun officer with 4 guns to take up a position on the SUNKEN ROAD, to cover the advance and to open fire if a favourable target presented itself. I afterwards sent forward two other Lewis guns.
The two companies were clear of the [former] enemy third line about 5.30am and deployed to attack in No Man’s Land, and moved forward about 6am with scouts well in advance.
The first report received from the scouts was that the southern edge of the wood was occupied. The officer commanding the left company sent one platoon to move up towards PIONEER GRABEN and occupy the high ground. On reaching the trench the enemy immediately delivered a counter attack and drove them back towards the CRUCIFIX.
My 2nd-in-command sent forward a bombing party to attack the enemy, they succeeded in killing one and wounding others and drove them back 150 yards, establishing blocks in MOLTKE GRABEN, PIONEER GRABEN and a bombing post at the junction of these trenches.
The remainder of the left company moved forward and some men got into the wood, the remainder dug themselves in, in STUMP ALLEY and PIONEER GRABEN, south-west of the CRUCIFIX.
At 11am, seeing my left company did not make much headway, I sent forward two platoons from my reserve companies, who assisted in consolidating the new positions taken.
This company was under fire from about 6am and consolidated all positions taken and remained in them until relieved at night.
My right company pushed forward to the southern edge of the wood and entered by the trenches. The enemy opened heavy machine-gun fire which enfiladed these trenches, and killed, wounded, and made practically the whole of these three platoons casualties; the fourth platoon took cover in shell holes in the open, and rejoined the battalion at night. The company commander and 2nd-in-command are missing, two platoon commanders were wounded, one, 2/Lieut. Tucker, managed to get out of the wood and reported to me at 10pm at night.
Albert was fatally wounded in the attack of 27th February 1917. He died at a casualty clearing station on 12th March and was buried in Varennes Military Cemetery. The inscription on his headstone, chosen by his parents, reads THY WILL BE DONE.