Albert Henry Detmold

Private, Canadian Pioneers

Private Albert Detmold (b. 1884) and his brother Julius F Detmold (b. 1883) were the sons of Frederick William Detmold, stockbroker. They both joined Alleyn's in 1895, with Albert leaving one year after his brother in  1898. In 1901 Albert was living with his parents and siblings at Alleyn Park in Dulwich and he was working as a stockbroker's clerk. At some point he had moved to Canada in search of new opportunities and employment. As a result, when war broke out in August 1914, Albert was still living abroad. However, this did not deter him from joining the war effort and after the announcement that an independent Canadian Expeditionary Force would be raised, he decided to enlist as part of the Canadian forces. After being found fit for service, Albert joined the Canadian Pioneers who were responsible for maintaining lines of communication at the front. Albert served overseas with the Pioneers on the Western Front and saw service in France in 1917. In August, he was involved in the Battle of Hill 70 which intended to inflict the German troops with a number of casualties and draw them away from a larger offensive taking place at Ypres. The attack was a success but came at a high cost of casualties for the Canadian forces. Unfortunately, Albert died on the first day of battle on August 15^th 1917. He is commemorated on the Vimy Memorial.