Albert was born in Melton on 9th December 1896. In 1911, he was working as an errand boy for a local grocer.

On 26th April 1915, Albert and fellow Melton man, Ernest Sydney Read, both enlisted in the services with the Suffolk Regiment. After basic training with the 3rd Suffolks, Albert was transferred to the Machine Gun Corps shortly after its creation in October 1915. Albert was posted to France on 9th February 1916 and was a member of the 44th Machine Gun Company, attached to the 15th (Scottish) Brigade.

In July 1916, the 44th Machine Gun Company were at the front line at Vermelles, near Lens, in France when Francis and Lucy Sawyer received a letter from an officer in Albert’s company. The receipt of the letter was reported in the Woodbridge Reporter and Wickham Market Gazette on 20th July 1916 as follows:

A Mistake

On Sunday morning last Mr and Mrs Francis Sawyer of Tollgate Cottages, Melton received from an officer a letter in which he most regretfully informed them that their son Albert Frederick Sawyer had been killed in the trenches.

Naturally the parents were much distressed at the sad news, but on Tuesday morning they received a Post Card and a letter from their son, whom they mourned as dead, stating that he had received a shrapnel wound. These were followed on Wednesday morning by another Post Card stating he had arrived in Southampton, and the second post the same day brought another letter that he was in hospital in Liverpool.

Mr and Mrs Sawyer were greatly relieved thus to be assured that their son was alive, and that a mistake had been made.

After he had recovered from his wounds, Albert returned to the 15th (Scottish) Brigade and was posted to join the 225th Machine Gun Company who had arrived from England on 19th July. They were based at Brandhoek, near Poperinghe, in Belgium. On 31st July, the Battle of Passchendaele commenced with the Battle of Pilkem Ridge. The 44th Brigade, of which Albert’s company was part, were ordered to take Frezenberg Ridge.

On the 2nd August, his No.3 Section was ordered to report to the 7th Camerons and positioned in front of Wildewood, where the men came under intense shell fire at times. On the 3rd August, No.3 section was relieved. The war diary for the 3rd August states:

“3rd August; 6 pm. No 3 section still at Wildewood Lance Corporal Palmer sick with trench feet. Private Sawyer wounded by shell. Section relieved – guns carried to school house.”

Albert was taken to the No.10 Casualty Clearing Station at Remy Sidings, near Langermarck, in Belgium. From here, he was sent back home on the 28th August for treatment.

There are no records to indicate what happened to Albert once he had recovered. He was discharged from the Machine Gun Corps on 19th March 1919.

In 1929, Albert married Alice Overett and, ten years later, in 1939, Albert was working as a railway porter. The couple were living on Main Road, Kesgrave, Suffolk. Albert died in 1973 at the age of seventy-seven.