Albert Percy Holey

War Service

Private (Service number 4343/241609) 3rd / 5th Battalion KOYLI and then Private (626029) unit 509 Agricultural Company of Labourers Corps.
Unusually, a great deal of information is still available concerning Albert. This is probably due to the fact that he tried, unsuccessfully, to claim a pension for disability.
At the time of his enlistment he was living in Sutton. He was also married with 2 children. He was first examined on 31st May 1915 at Pontefract when he was 23 years 200 days old. He was described as being 5 ft 9ins tall with a chest of 37 and ½ inches with a good physical development.
Albert had three service numbers due to the fact that the numbers for most Battalions were changed in early 1917 from 4/5 digits to a 6 digit number. He was transferred to another company resulting in his third number allocation.
3rd / 5th battalion was formed at home bases in March 1915 and moved to Clipstone Camp, near Mansfield. On April 1916 it became a Reserve Bat. Then on 1st September 1916 the 4th absorbed the 5th Reserve Bat. Moved in October 1917 to Rugeley in Staffs. The following is a chronological account of Albert’s service as gleaned from the records available.
1/6/15 - Embodied in KOYLI 3/5.
15/4/15 - Transferred from depot.
3/11/16 - Absent without leave (AWOL) for 3 days and breaking into barracks - Forfeit 3 days pay.
24/2/17 - Struck off as a deserter.
1/4/17 - returned from desertion - charged with “when on active service deserting his Majesties service”. Found guilty - 6 months detention (if he had been in a ‘theatre of war’, this charge would have probably warranted facing a firing squad).
11/5 17 - Embarked Folkestone - not having served the 6 months detention.
11/5/17 Disembarked Boulogne
12/5/17 - Base depot Etaples
16/7/17 - Admitted field hospital
20/7/17 - “
1/8/17 - “
3/8/17 - “ - Trench fever
11/8/17 - discharged to Barracks.
3/9/17 - Influenza.
28/9/17 - Posted to England to 4th Reserve KOYLI at Rugeley.
5/10/17 - Overstaying hospital furlough for 3 days - forfeit 3 days pay.
29/11/17 - Overstaying special leave - forfeit 2 days pay.
30/11/17 - Posted to 509 Agricultural company at York.
8/8/18 - Transferred to 494 Agric company.
30/11/18 - Posted 509 Agric company.
27/3/19 - Discharged from service but kept on ‘Z’ list. This meant that in the event of resumation of hostilities Albert could be called back into service.
Note: The Agricultural Labourers Corp is perhaps better known as the "Green Howards". This title dates back to the wars of Austrian Succession in the mid 1700s. The Colonel at the time was named Howard. At this time, regiments were often referred to by the name of their Colonel. As the regiment was brigaded with another whose name was also Howard, there was duplication. So this regiment, which wore green facings to its uniform, became the "Green" Howards and the other regiment the "Buff" Howards. The "Green Howards" and the "Buffs" were names still in use in 1914-1918.
Claim for disability
Albert attempted to claim disability on the grounds that he broke his leg (fractured tibia below the knee) whilst on active service and spent time in Military Hospital No. 2. At the time he stated that his last employer was Mr Holey J. R. of Sutton. And he was involved in farming. He was also described as a ‘gamekeeper’ on other documents.
It was stated that the original date of injury was August 1917 at Bapaume and that he was kicked by a mule but there was ‘no documentary evidence of injury’.
He assessed his degree of disabilty as 20%.
It was judged that there were no grounds for any award.
Albert had a third child- Cyril A. Holey - who was born in the third quarter (Jul- Sep) of 1918. He was probably conceived during the period of ‘special leave’ granted in October 1917 (see above).
Albert Percy Holey died during the second quarter of 1971 at the age of 80.The death was registered in Leeds.

Family Life

Holey was not a Brotherton name until into the 1900’s. Probably the first connection was in August 1909 when William John Bramham married Hannah Mary Holey who was born in Brayton. Although there were a number of possibly inter-related families of that name Albert’s line can be traced back to the late 1700’s. The main events being as follows:
December 25th 1794 - George Holey married Jane Hawkes in Brayton.
December 15th 1801 - George Holey (2nd) born in Brayton
December 14th 1826 - George Holey (2nd) married Ann Collins, who was born in Burn, at Brayton. George and Ann had a number of children - Jane (1828), Mary (1829), Joseph (1830) born in Gowdall, George (1830), Ann (1834), Sarah (1836), Thomas (1839), Elizabeth ( 1840) and Helen (1846).
1841 - George (2nd) was employed as an agricultural labourer (Ag Lab)
1851 - 81 year old George living in Gowdall with three youngest children. Still employed as Ag Lab.
November 29th 1853 - 23 year old Joseph Holey married Mary Ann Robinson in Howden. Mary Ann was born in Ellerton sometimes referred to as Ellerton by Bubwith. Following children - Joseph Robinson (August 3rd 1856 in Willetoft), Elizabeth Jane (March 9th 1858 in Willetoft) and Ann (July 24th 1859).
1861 - Joseph and family were living at 47 Mill Cottage, Ellerton. He was employed as an Ag Lab. Youngest child Ann was not listed in census so may have died.
1871 - Joseph living at Sherwood Cottage in Eggborough and was described as a ‘farm labourer’. Other children included George (1862 in Bubwith), Thomas (1863 in Hensall) Mary Ann (1866 in Hensall) and William (1869 in Eggbrough).
1879 - A Joseph Robinson Holey was married in Selby but there are some discrepancies. His wife was called Sarah but listed on the same page the only one by that Christian name is also called Holey or Holy. Also, the first child called Amelia (Amealia) was born in 1976 in Brayton. John William was the next child born in early 1881 in Brayton.
1881 - Joseph Robinson was living in Brayton with his wife Sarah who was 4 years older than him and born in Brayton, plus the two children.
1891 - 34 year old George Robinson still in Brayton working as an Ag lab. Family extended to include Joseph Robinson (2nd) born in Brayton in 1882, Thomas William (1883), Hannah Mary (1887), Albert Percy (1892) and Emmanuel R (1895).
1901 - Joseph Robinson living at Barff Lane Brayton. He was still an Ag Lab. Amealia and John William had left the household and the next 3 children were all in employment. Joseph Robinson (2nd) was a ‘railway porter’, Thomas William a ‘waggoner on a farm’ and 15 year old Hannah Mary a ‘dressmaker’.
1912 - Albert Percy married Annie Allsopp in Pontefract. They had 3 children - Florence (1st August 1913), William (6th April 1915) and Cyril A. (1918)
1913 - Joseph R. (2nd) married Lavinia Wilkinson in Pontefract. They had 2 children - Beatrice M. (1916) and Sarah W. (1918)
During World War I the two youngest of Joseph Robinson’s sons Albert Percy and Emmanuel R. both enlisted.
After the War
Albert Percy Holey died during the second quarter of 1971 at the age of 80.The death was registered in Leeds.