Albert Ball VC DSO MC (1896 - 1917)

Born 14 Aug 1896 in Lenton, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England

Ancestors

Died 7 May 1917 at age 20 in Douai, Nord, France

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Biography

Albert Ball VC DSO MC is Notable.

This profile is part of the Ball Name Study.

Albert Ball was born to Albert Ball and Harriet Mary (Page) Ball on 14 August 1896 in Lenton, Nottinghamshire, England. ^[1]

Albert first appeared on the 1901 census, aged 4, living with his parents and siblings at The Lodge, 60 Sherwin Street in the leafy suburb of Lenton, Nottingham. His father was listed as a 'Dealer in Landed Estates', ^[2] but by the 1911 census, he was a 'Real Estate and Land Agent'. ^[3] Father Albert later became the Lord Mayor of Nottingham in 1935 having also held the positions of Mayor of Nottingham in 1909 and Alderman of Nottingham in 1929.

From Sherwin Road, the family moved the short distance to the most desirable area of Nottingham - The Park, as by 1911 the Ball household was resident at Sedgley House (Number 43) Lenton Road, The Park. ^[4] However Albert (aged 14) and his brother Arthur (aged 13) were not enumerated with the rest of the Ball family for the 1911 census, as they were boarders at the prestigious private school, Trent College in Long Eaton, on the Nottinghamshire / Derbyshire border. ^[5]

Mechanically-minded and a crack shot, Albert served in the Officers' Training Corps while still at Trent College. He left school in December 1913, and less than a year later signed up to join the 2/7th (Robin Hood) Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment). He transferred to the North Midlands Cyclist Company, Divisional Mounted Troops, having been promoted to 2nd Lieutenant in October 1914.

Albert Ball and Caudron G3, 1915

Albert took private flying lessons in order to gain his Royal Aero Club certificate, and then requested transfer in 1915 to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), seconded to No 9 (Reserve) Squadron RFC. He completed his pilot training at Central Flying School (Upavon) in January 1916. The following month saw Albert joining 13 Squadron RFC at Marieux, France, flying reconnaissance missions. He was promoted to temporary captain on his 20th birthday.

further details of Albert's service can be seen on Wikipedia

Albert was awarded the Freedom of the City of Nottingham on 21 February 1917. ^[6] The following month, he became engaged to Flora Young, although the couple did not marry due to Albert's tragically early death.

Albert Ball with SE5a fighter plane, 1917

Albert returned to combat duty with 56 Squadron RFC, and moved to the Western Front on 7 April 1917. An excited letter to his parents displays his attitude: "Cheerio, am just about to start the great game again."

The Last Fight of Captain Ball, VC, DSO and 2 Bars, MC, 7th May 1917.

A dogfight with Lothar von Richthofen, the Red Baron's younger brother resulted Albert's plane crashing. Doctors pronounced cause of death as a broken back, crushed chest, and fractured limbs. When the Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen was told of Albert's death, he described him as "‘by far the best English Flying man". ^[7]

Albert was buried with full military honours by the German army at the war cemetery at Annoeulin, Departement du Nord, France. ^{[8] [9]}

Grave of Albert Ball

Although other British airmen's bodies were moved to the Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery, Albert's father requested that his son's body remain where it was. He put a private memorial over the grave and bought the field where Albert had died. ^[10]

Albert was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. The citation text published in The London Gazette (8 June 1917) reads: ^[11]

'For most conspicuous and consistent bravery from the 25th of April to the 6th of May, 1917, during which period Captain Ball took part in twenty-six combats in the air and destroyed eleven hostile aeroplanes, drove down two out of control, and forced several others to land. In these combats Captain Ball, flying alone, on one occasion fought six hostile machines, twice he fought five and once four. When leading two other British aeroplanes he attacked an enemy formation of eight. On each of these occasions he brought down at least one enemy. Several times his aeroplane was badly damaged, once so seriously that but for the most delicate handling his machine would have collapsed, as nearly all the control wires had been shot away. On returning with a damaged machine he had always to be restrained from immediately going out on another. In all, Captain Ball has destroyed forty-three German aeroplanes and one balloon, and has always displayed most exceptional courage, determination and skill.'

He was also posthumously awarded the Croix de Chevalier de Legion d'Honneur by the French Government. ^[12]

Memorials and Legacy

Memorials

• a Grade I listed bronze statue sited in the grounds of Nottingham Castle. This was unveiled in 1921 and designed by Edwin Alfred Rickards and Henry Poole ARA. ^[13] (Nottingham Castle is closed for redevelopment and will reopen in 2021)
• a permanent display in the Museum of the Mercian Regiment (merged with the Sherwood Foresters Regiment) housed in Nottingham Castle. (Currently closed for redevelopment until 2021)
• part of the permanent display of the British flying aces of the Great War at the Royal Air Force museum at Colindale, North London, England.
• Albert's name is included on the Lenton War Memorial, and on a plaque inside the Holy Trinity Church in Lenton. A photo of the war memorial is on the "Historic England" website here, with the Albert Ball Memorial Homes (see below) in the background.
• A blue plaque is attached to the exterior wall of his family home at 43 Lenton Road, The Park, Nottingham. (2018) ^[14]
• A blue plaque at Grantham Grammar School (one of the schools Albert attended) ^[15]

Legacy

• The "Albert Ball Memorial Homes " (now Grade II listed buildings) were erected by Albert's parents on land near to their old address on Sherwin Road, Lenton. They were opened in 1921 to house the families of servicemen killed in action. The building was designed by the Nottingham architect firm of Brewill and Baily and the plan is said to evoke a biplane. ^[16]
• A scholarship (The Albert Ball VC Scholarship) was set up in 1967 at Trent College.
• In 1999, the new school at Annoeullin in the Department du Nord, France near where Albert is buried, was named Collège Albert Ball in his honour at the request of the students. ^[10] The Parent-Teacher Association features Ball's biplane as its logo. ^[17]
• Albert Ball featured on the 72p value Royal Mail stamp in a set commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Victoria Cross. ^[18]
• In 2015, Queen Elizabeth II authorised a series of six special silver £5 coins to be minted to commemorate the Hundreth Anniversary of the First World War. Albert Ball is commemorated on the third coin in the series: an effigy of Albert Ball together with First World War fighter planes and the inscription “1914 THE FIRST WORLD WAR 1918” and “ALBERT BALL VC” around the coin; separated by poppy flowers attached with barbed wire. The said coin will have a plain edge and in incuse letters the inscription “BY FAR THE BEST ENGLISH FLYING MAN” ^{[19] [20]}
• more prosaically, Albert Ball has also appeared in the Pokemon series card game (2014) ^[21]
• A Nottingham City Transport Bus (number 426) was named in his honour in 2018. ^{[14] [22]} The campaign to have a Nottingham tram named after him continues...

Sources

1. ↑ England & Wales birth registration: Nottingham [district], Volume 7b, Page 303, September quarter 1896, mother's maiden name PAGE
2. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XSNC-YBD : 21 May 2019), Albert Ball in household of Albert Ball, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Nottingham South West subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
3. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWSZ-142 : 3 July 2019), Albert Ball, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
4. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWSZ-142 : 3 July 2019), Albert Ball, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
5. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7TX-1L5 : 13 September 2019), Albert Ball, Long Eaton, Long Eaton, Derbyshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
6. ↑ List of Honorary Freemen of the City of Nottingham Nottingham City Council website Accessed 15 August 2020
7. ↑ Commentary on the statue of Albert Ball, Castle Gardens, Nottingham, England by Historic England List Entry Number: 1246929 Historic England website accessed 4 November 2020
8. ↑ Albert Ball in: Commonwealth War Graves Commission website, Grave 643 Accessed 15 August 2020 BALL Commonwealth War Graves Commission
   Capt. Ball was formerly of Notts & Derby Regt 7 Bn (Robin Hood Bn, Sherwood Foresters). Son of Sir Albert Ball, JP, Nottingham.
9. ↑ Annoeullin Cemetery in: Commonwealth War Graves Commission website COMMUNAL CEMETERY AND GERMAN EXTENSION (Departement du Nord) France
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Annoeullin Communal Cemetery webpage. Accessed 15 August 2020 http://www.webmatters.net/txtpat/?id=260
11. ↑ London Gazette, 8 June 1917. Accessed 15 August 2020 full text
12. ↑ The Edinburgh Gazette 15 June 1917 full text
13. ↑ Description of the List Entry by Historic England for the statue of Captain Albert Ball. Grade I listed in 1972. Accessed 15 August 2020 https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1246929
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} Plaque unveiled at former home of Albert Ball, Nottingham's greatest First World War hero Nottingham Evening Post (published Nottingham, England) 7 May 2018. Nottingham Evening Post online, free to view
15. ↑ Memorial to Albert Ball. Blue plaque erected by Grantham Civic Society. Description and image
16. ↑ Description of the List Entry by Historic England for the Albert Ball Memorial Homes including photographs of the exterior. Grade II* listed in 1995. Further architectural description on this site. Accessed 15 August https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1246781
17. ↑ Facebook page of the A.P.E. Collège Albert Ball, accessed 15 August 2020 https://www.facebook.com/apecollegealbertball/
18. ↑ Description and image of commemorative stamp of Albert Ball as part of the 150th Anniversary of the Victoria Cross, issued 21 September 2006. Novic Philatelics website image Accessed 15 August 2020
19. ↑ BY THE QUEEN A PROCLAMATION DETERMINING THE SPECIFICATIONS AND DESIGNS FOR FIVE POUND COINS COMMEMORATING THE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR ELIZABETH R. The Belfast Gazette 19 June 2015. Accessed 15 August 2020 Proclamation full text
20. ↑ Image of the £5 silver coin of Albert Ball (2015) https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces92271.html
21. ↑ Albert Ball Pokemon game card https://www.mypokecard.com/en/Gallery/Pokemon-Albert-ball
22. ↑ Nottingham City Transport website 9 November 2018. Accessed 15 August 2020. https://www.nctx.co.uk/nct-honours-employees-who-served-during-world-war-i-dedication-albert-ball-vc-bus

See Also:

• Wikipedia contributors, "Albert Ball," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Albert_Ball&oldid=966587492 (accessed August 15, 2020).
• "The Centenary of Captain Albert Ball" by Gav Squires from the Nottingham based magazine "Left Lion" 21 November 2017. The article contains a great photo of the Albert Ball statue at Nottingham Castle. https://www.leftlion.co.uk/read/2017/november/captain-albert-ball/
• Albert Ball Frank E Earp, published 9 June 2016 Nottingham Hidden History team website
• Wikidata: Item Q577169, en:Wikipedia