A TRULY PATRIOTIC FAMILY

The year is 1901, Henry Hackett, a farm labourer working in Ambaston, near Shardlow moved his family back to Aston on Trent, where he and his wife were married at all saints church in 1880. They resided at Far Moorside in the village and had eleven children, six sons and five daughters.

Five of their sons fought for their country during World War 1, the sixth was rejected on medical grounds. Three of their daughters were engaged on war work. 

The eldest son - George Henry Hackett was born in 1881, he joined the army serving in the north Staffordshire Regiment and the Army Service Corps, he was sent to France in 1916 and survived the war. 

The second eldest – Herbert Hackett was born in 1883 but was rejected for military service on medical grounds. 

1917 WAS A SIGNIFICANT YEAR FOR THE HACKETT FAMILY   

Private Frederick Hackett – was born in 1896, after joining the Machine Gun Corps in 1915, he was killed by a German trench mortar bomb on the 28^th July 1917 age 21. He is buried in the British cemetary at Monchy-Le-Preux, near Arras in France.

Seven days later his younger brother Private Albert Edward Hackett - born in 1899, was the youngest of the six brothers, he was serving in the 16^th Battalion Sherwood Forresters And died on the 5^th august 1917 age 18. Although he has no known grave he is remembered with honour on the walls of the Menin Gate at Ypres in Belgium. He had only been serving in the army for six months.

Things got even worse for the Hackett family when Rifleman Charles William Hackett – born in 1892, enlisted in september 1914, he served in the 11^th Battalion Rifle Brigade and was killed in action on the 11^th August 1917 age 25. He is buried at Bard Cottage Cemetary north of the town of Ypres in Belgium. The family had lost three sons within twelve days.

This was not the end however for the Hackett family, a fourth son, Gunner Harry Hackett – born 1890, enlisted in february 1915 and serving in the 115^th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison artillary died from wounds on the 7^th december 1917 age 27. He is buried in the St Julien dressing station near Ypres in Belgium.

Consider how Mr and Mrs Hackett must have felt, they had lost four of their five serving sons in less than five months while fighting for king and country.

Their names liveth for ever – WE WILL REMEMBER THEM 

Incidently during the 1914 – 1918 war a total of nineteen men from Aston on Trent and six from Weston on Trent lost their lives due to injuries sustained while fighting for their country.