CREES, Albany Edward

Credit: Gary Newman

Private

Royal Malitia Island of Jersey

11th Bn Hampshire Regt.

Albany was born 1886 in Jersey to Frank Edward & Rebecca CREES & married to Ada Emma CREES. In 1911 Albany was living at 2 Hazel Villas, St John Road, St Helier, in Jersey.

In World War II, the Island was demilitarised, 11 officers & 193 men of the militia left on the SS Hodder to England & arrived in Southampton on the 21st of June 1940, where they formed the nucleus of the 11th (Royal Militia Island of Jersey) Battalion, The Hants Regiment. It was a training battalion, based in the UK throughout the war until it was disbanded in 1946. Because the National Service Act did not apply in the Channel Islands, the Royal Militia of the Island of Jersey went into suspended animation (sc. it existed on paper, but had no personnel) until it was formally disbanded, along with the other British Militia regiments, in 1953.

Albany had served in WWI as Private A.E. CREES 53052 Lancashire Fusiliers. Albany died on the 8th of July 1940, aged 54, on the Island & is buried at Parkhurst Military Cemetery. He rests beneath a Commission Headstone alongside 88 First & Second World War casualties.

CWGC Casualty Record

Cemetary

Parkhurst Military Cemetery

Location

Construction of the barracks, which were originally named Parkhurst Barracks after the forest where they were located, was completed in September 1798. Shortly after completion they were renamed "Albany Barracks" after Prince Frederick, Duke of York & Albany, who had been Commander-in-Chief of the Forces. By 1807 they were occupied by the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot preparing for action in the Peninsular War. In 1859 the Isle of Wight Rifles was raised as a defence force for the Island & stationed at the barracks.

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The Parkhurst Military Cemetery, on Forest Road, was established in the 1840's, replacing an older cemetery which has since been developed.

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The cemetery serviced the families & servicemen of the Parkhurst Barracks (later Albany Barracks) & Military Hospital.
The cemetery includes a 'Cross of Sacrifice', designed by Sir Reginald BLOMFIELD, as it has over 40 War Graves.

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During WW2 a number of Germany servicemen (50) (mainly crashed aircrew) were buried in the cemetery; their bodies were exhumed & re-interred at the Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery in the early 1960s. This included the body of Major General Dr Hans Volkmar FISSER of the German Air Force who was shot down over the Island on 12 August 1940 in a Junkers 88. He was a doctor of Political Science. He is buried with Sgt Jakob BIRNDORFER an ME109 pilot also relocated from Parkhurst.

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After the closure of the barracks in the early 1960's, the cemetery remains part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Estate managed by the Joint Casualty & Compassionate Centre (JCC) at Ijim Barracks, Gloucester although the CWGC monitors the War Graves, the MOD is responsible for its general upkeep

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