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240428 1st/5th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Albert Tuffen was born in 1893 in Sudbury, one of six surviving children of William and Annie Tuffen (née Ruggles). His father had various jobs ranging from gardener, a lime burner and later a carman for a local coal yard and the family lived in Church Row before moving to 10 Gooseberry Row (where North Street car park is today).
Before enlisting at the outbreak of war to serve with the Suffolk Regiment (formerly 2130) Albert was employed at the William Armes Matting Factory and he served in the same regiment as his Managing Director William Morriss Armes who was the Commanding Officer of the 5th Battalion. The battalion landed at Suvla Bay in early August and saw action against the Turks, advancing through heavy enemy fire without any artillery support from their own side to gain 1,300 yards. The battalion suffered 186 killed or wounded and a further 160 sick, the majority suffering with dysentery. The battalion was garrisoned at Hill 60 and had to endure disease, swarms of flies, heat, water shortage and lack of transport.
The battalion finally left Gallipoli on the night of 6 December 1915, in four months it had suffered over 800 casualties, killed, wounded or sick. The battalion spent 1916 defending the Suez Canal. In the spring of 1917 the Allies were trying to push the Turks out of Palestine; the battalion saw action in the failed attempt to capture the town of Gaza which was an important costal gateway from Egypt at the first Battle of Gaza (26 - 27 March 1917).
Albert died of wounds on 27 March 1917 and lies buried in Gaza War Cemetery, Israel. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
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