Stoker Albert Beaver, the son of William Beaver and his wife of Oakham, was just a month over 17 years of age when he joined the 5th Leicestershire Regiment (Territorial Force) on the 15 May 1908. On 19 January 1911, he joined the Royal Navy, being rated as Stoker, Second Class, on HMS Victory. He later served on Renown, Essex and Neptune, where, on 7 March 1912, he was rated as Stoker, First Class. He returned to HMS Victory and also served on HMS Terrible and was on HMS Dolphin when war broke out. After another spell on HMS Victory, he was transferred to HMS Alert, and on 4 September 1915, sailed with the Mediterranean Fleet for Salonica. On the 31 October 1915, he died from typhoid and was intially buried at Makina Masul Old Cemetery. He is now buried at Basra War Cemetery, grave V.F.18. Albert held the 1st Good Conduct Badge granted on 18 January 1914, and always got marks for superior ability in his duties. He is on the war memorial in the grounds of All Saints' Church in Oakham. Albert's uncle, also called Albert Beaver, was killed in Iraq and is remembered on the Basra Memorial.

The photograph below shows Albert, front row left, at camp with other Oakham Territorials around 1908. Picture kindly supplied by Janet Banks.

Rutland and the Great War wrongly names Albert's last ship as HMS Albert instead of HMS Alert.