Albert Benjamin Uden was born on the 17th October 1882 in Dover, Kent. He was the youngest child of Albert and Eliza Uden (nee Sowman). An older brother Charles Edward Uden had died in infancy in 1880, his older sister Alice Uden (My Great Grandmother) was born on the 21st February 1873 in Bridge, Canterbury.
His father was a Potato merchant / greengrocer by trade. The family grew up on Seven Star Street in Dover, having moved there from Bridge, Canterbury in the early 1880’s shortly before Albert’s birth. Albert married Maude Torr, also from Dover, in 1905 in Paddington and along with their newly born son Albert they emigrated to Toronto, Canada in 1907 sailing on the Empress of Britain.
In 1915 Albert, Maude and their two sons Albert (born in Paddington in 1906) and George (born in Ontario, Canada in 1910) were living in Bellwoods Ave, Toronto.
A carpenter by trade Albert was aged 32 years and 2 months when on the 20th January 1915 he enlisted as a sapper in the 4th Field Company of the Canadian Engineers. He was 5ft 5in tall with brown eyes, dark brown hair and a dark complexion. Albert also had two vaccination scars on his right arm and a scar on his left shin.
The 4th Field Company, Canadian Engineers, had left Halifax, Nova Scotia on the 18th April 1915 bound for England on board the HMT Northland. The voyage took 11 days in total, the Company, under the command of Major G.A. Inksetter. arrived in England on the 29th April 1915.
After six months of training in England, the company embarked for France on the 16th September 1915.
Albert Uden had recently been appointed (7th May 1918) to the rank of Lance Corporal and on the 26th June 1918, 100 years ago today, the company were based at La Riviere and were engaged in various tasks working on two dugouts , fixing the wire in another part of their sector and working on theatre hut (source War Diary 4th Field Company, Canadian Engineers) . However on this day Albert Uden was admitted to the 5th Canadian Field Ambulance suffering from a varicose ulcer on the right leg. The problem had been an on-going one during recent months.
He had previously received treatment on the 1st January 1918 at the 6th Canadian Field Ambulance for an ICT (Inflammation of the Connective Tissue) of the right leg, he had been discharged back to duty on the 9th January.
The War Diary for the 6th Canadian Field Ambulance for the 1st January 1918 reads
Fine – Cold
Estree Gauchie S9 W1 SP7
De La Haie S10 W0 SP55
Games, gas and squad drills during the morning. Capt D W McKechnie has been promoted to the rank of Major from 17-12-17
Quiet Day
S = Sick, W = Wounded, G = Gassed, SP = Sick Parade
Albert would later be transferred on the 1st July on to the No. 6 General hospital in Rouen, for further treatment on his ulcer and he was finally discharged back to reinforcements in Etaples on the 23rd July 1918.
Inflammation of the Connective Tissue along with trench foot was one of the more common aliments that affected soldiers in World War One. For Albert constantly repairing trenches in all conditions it is not surprising he suffered with this condition.
Albert’s nephews Solomon Charles Wraight was serving with the 315th Infantry Division of the United States Army having emigrated from England in 1915 and William John Wraight was serving with the Royal Air Force
References
Canadian Library and Archives
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