Private Albert Hoyle
52273 16th Lancashire Fusiliers
Killed in Action 4th November 1918, aged 19
Lived at 104 Colne Road
Buried in Cross Roads Cemetery, France - I.G.16
St Peters Memorial, Burnley
St.Andrews Memorial, Burnley
Burnley Express 15th March 1919

Albert Hoyle was born in Burnley the son of Charlotte and William James Hoyle. He enlisted in 1917 as Private 52273 in the 16th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers and was killed in action aged 19 on Monday 4th November 1918. He is buried at Crossroads Cemetery, near Fontaine-au-Bois, Nord , France grave I G 16.

On the 4th November 1918 the 2nd Salford Pals fought their last action of the war in the crossing of the Sambre Canal, near the town of Landrecies. In this Action Lieutenant-Colonel John Neville Marshall, was awarded a Victoria Cross leading his men, he was also Killed in Action.
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The Burnley Express reported that:-
“Parish Church Chorister Killed.

For ten years Albert Hoyle, who was born at 104, Colne Road where his parents still reside, was a member of the St. Peter’s Choir, and as such attended the funeral of Bishop Pearson. News having being received from comrades of his death at the front, the sad event was referred to at a memorial service held at the Parish Church on Sunday, Bishop Henn preaching.

Before he joined the Lancashire Fusiliers on March 6th 1917 Pte. Hoyle was a beamer at Thornber’s Daneshouse Mill, and was a member of St Andrew’s Boys Scouts. He went overseas in February 1918, and was wounded on the 22nd of the following month, and after being in Toxteth Park Hospital, Liverpool, returned to France on October 4th last. The first intimation that anything was untoward was communicated by Sergt. Harris and Lce. Corpl. Taylor, under date November 25th.

The latter picked up a packet of photos, badly damaged on the battlefield on November 4th or 5th. The writer says Pte.Hoyle must have been killed instantly by a shell. When he fell the advance was at its height, and he was buried in a small meadow near a farm at a village called Happegarbe, and a cross erected over his remains. Later Sergt. Harris, M.M., said Pte. Hoyle seems to have been cut in two and there was nothing else to identify him except the photos and a wound stripe, and he marked the photo of the soldier buried. This leaves no doubt in the mind of Mr and Mrs Hoyle as to the correctness of the news and though reported by the War office to be missing from November 4, official notification of the death of the brave lad has not yet been received.

The officer commanding, in reply to a letter said that Pte. Hoyle took part in an attack on the Canal et Ons, to the south east of Le Cateau. Signaller Halstead , a Harle Syke lad who was a pal of the dead soldier, writing on December 5 said he saw the deceased on the morning of November 3rd and when he came out of action he was told by a stretcher bearer that Pte. Hoyle had been wounded in the arm and was walking to the dressing station. The writer explains his delay in writing by stating that he had been moved from the Battalion. Pte Hoyle who would have been 20 years of age on February 16th was highly respected.”