Albert Hearn

Private Albert Hearn – Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), formerly Royal Welsh Fusiliers

Early Life

Another soldier buried at St. Peter’s Church, Cockett, who transferred to the Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), was Albert Hearn. He was born in 1890 in Swansea, the son of William Hearn and Jane Gill, who had married in 1874 in South Molton, Devon.

1891 Census

The 1891 Census records the Hearn family living on St. Peter’s Road, Swansea. William, 40, born in Devon, was employed as a brick maker, while Jane, 39, also born in Devon, kept the household. Their children were John, 15; William, 14; and Bertram, 13, all born in Devon, along with Annie, 10; Mary Jane, 7; Frances Beatrice, 4; and Albert, aged 1, who had been born in Swansea.

1901 Census

By the 1901 Census, the family was living at 2 Station Road, Grovers Terrace, Swansea. William, now 52, was employed as a brick yard labourer, while Jane was recorded as 58. Their children John, 26; William H., 24; and Bertram, 22, all worked as labourers in the brick works. Annie, 20, was employed as a domestic servant, while Beatrice, 11, and Albert, 11, were still at school.

1911 Census

At the time of the 1911 Census, the Hearn family was still living at 2 Govier Terrace, Cockett. William, 63, was working as a labourer, while Jane, 60, managed the home. Their children still at home included Bertram, 32, employed as a stationary engine driver; Albert, 21, a labourer; Annie, 20; and Beatrice, 23.

Military Service

Albert enlisted with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and later transferred to the Machine Gun Corps (Infantry).

The Machine Gun Corps in the First World War

The Machine Gun Corps (MGC) was formed in October 1915 to provide the British Army with specialist units trained in the use of the Vickers machine gun. Before its creation, machine guns were distributed in small numbers across infantry battalions, but the slaughter on the Western Front proved that concentrated firepower was essential.

The MGC quickly earned the nickname “the Suicide Club” because of its extremely high casualty rates. Machine gun positions were vital in both defence and attack, but they were also prime targets for enemy artillery, snipers, and counter-attacks. Soldiers of the MGC endured some of the heaviest fighting of the war, often working in exposed positions with little cover.

By the end of the war, over 170,000 men had served in the Corps, but more than 62,000 were killed or wounded. For men like Albert, a transfer into the MGC often meant moving into some of the most dangerous duties on the battlefield.

Death at Dewalden Court Hospital

Albert Hearn
St. Peters church
credit - findagrave

Albert was wounded in action and later died from his injuries at Dewalden Court Hospital, Eastbourne, on 1^st June 1918, aged 28. His body was brought back to Swansea for burial at St. Peter’s Church, Cockett.

Dewalden Court Hospital, Eastbourne

During the First World War, many large private houses and estates across Britain were converted into auxiliary hospitals to cope with the huge numbers of sick and wounded servicemen. Dewalden Court, a substantial building in Eastbourne, Sussex, was one such facility. It functioned as a military convalescent hospital, caring for soldiers who required long-term recovery after being wounded at the front. Patients were often transferred there once they were stable enough to leave a base or general hospital, but many, like Albert, succumbed to the effects of their wounds despite this care.

Hospitals like Dewalden Court played a vital role in the broader network of medical facilities that stretched from the Western Front back to Britain, providing men with a chance of rest and recovery.

Legacy

Albert Hearn’s story reflects that of many soldiers from Swansea: raised in a working-class family, employed in heavy industry, and drawn into the war through service in both his local regiment and later the Machine Gun Corps. His burial at St. Peter’s ensures his name and sacrifice remain part of the community where he was born and raised.