George Alberry was born in Clowne Derbyshire on 21st October 1894.

On 14th November 1894 George Alberry was christened at Hope. His mother was named Ruth and his father was named George.

In 1881 Ruth was 12 and was living with her parents John and Eliza Mallen in Dudley. Her father was a miner. John Mallen’s death was registered in Worksop in 1901. So the Mallens must have moved from Dudley into the Derbyshire coal field.

By 1891 George and Ruth were married. The family were living at High Street, Clowne. George senior was a coal miner. George’s elder sister Elizabeth was 2 years old and his brother Albert was 8 months old.

By 1901 the family were living in Church Lane Clowne next door to another family of Alberry’s, Charles, Mary, Elsie, Lilian and Ellen. These were possibly relatives of the family. In George Alberry’s house was his father George, his mother Ruth, his sister Lizzie who was 12, Harry who was 10, George himself who was 7 and his younger brother Tom Alberry who was aged 6 and Victor Alberry aged 4.

In 1911 the Alberry family were living in Stanfree near Bolsover. George was 17 years old and was a coal miner pony driver. His father was working as a coal miner hewer. His brothers Albert and Harry were also working as coal miner pony drivers. By this point there were two more children as well, Ben who was 8 and at school and Ellen who was 4 and still at home. This meant that there were nine members of the family living in in a two down, three up dwelling.

George Alberry joined the Royal Navy on 23rd June 1915 “ for Hostilities”.

At the time he was aged 20. He was described as being 5 feet 6 inches tall with a 36.50 inch chest, black hair, hazel eyes, with a fresh complexion and described as having scars on his left eyebrow, the back of his scalp, left wrist, left elbow and left shin. As a “miner coal cutter group 3” these scars were probably picked up in the mine.

On 23rd June 1915 George commenced at “Victory II” which was a shore based training facility at Crystal Palace. He was described as a Stoker Grade II. From 4th September 1915 to 30th October 1915 he was a Stoker Grade I still at Victory II. From 31st October 1915 to 9th December 1915 he was on HMS Magpie which was a supply ship

For most of the war George was assigned to various shore based locations including Victory X and HMS Wallington.

He was paid a War Gratuity on 22nd June 1918.

George was married in the last quarter of 1919 to Eliza A Newton and in 1920 they had a son William Derrick (1920 – 1983)

George Alberry died in March 1957 in Chesterfield aged 62.

Eliza Alberry died in 1985 aged 87.

Andy Miles, 2017