Military History

An article on 19th August 1916 in the Kenilworth Advertiser describes why he was awarded the Military Medal for Gallantry in the Field. The medal was Gazetted on 1 Sep 1916 (Gazette).

"His Company and another were almost surrounded when Sergt. Bricknell took back a message to the Commanding Officer which saved the two Companies. He also went back through the torrent of shot and shell to take back Commanding Officers reply, and came off unscathed."

In August 1917 George was on leave when he was presented with a Gold Hunter Watch at Kenilworth Working Mens Club in recognition of his winning the Military Medal

George is listed as dying of wounds having been initially reported as wounded and missing on 12th October 1917 during the attack of the same day. The 8th Battalion report on that attack is transcribed below. Please add 20. to the beginning of the map references and plot them here https://www.tmapper.com/.

Report on the Advance of the 8^th Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment
In the Attack on the Morning of the 12^th October 1917

Forming Up: At 4.25am on Oct 12^th 1917 the 8^th South Staffordshire Regt formed up on a tape stretching between the points U.12.d.76.95 and U.12.b.42.70 facing a direction of about of 43° true bearing.

Positions: B Coy (2/Lt R.W.A. Gleed on the right and A Coy (Capt. O Barlow MC) on the left in the front line. D Coy (Capt. P.A.W. Came) right support and C Coy (Capt. L.J. Kelsey) left support.

Advance: At 5.25am the barrage came down 200 yards in front of and parallel to the tape line. The Battalion once moved forward.

Formations: The first half of each platoon of the two leading Coys were extended and formed one wave of two lines. The men being extended to about 8 paces. The second half of each of the leading Coys formed a line of half platoons in file.

The two supporting Coys followed in Artillery Formation of Platoons in file. The depth of the ground covered by the Battalion was about 90 yards and frontage of about 380 yards. At 5.31am the two leading Coys halted on a line U.12.b.95.12 to U.12.b.62.95. The supporting Coys closed up behind them.

At 5.33am the Battalion resumed the advance closely following the barrage which at this moment lifted 100 yards. The advance continued at the rate of 8 mins per 100 yards until 6am, the left Coy (A) reached its first objective. It appears that at this time the left Coy A had closed in a little to their right. All the Officers of this Coy became casualties before the first objective was reached and C Coy supporting them had only one Officer left. B & D Coys had each two or three officers.

The retreating enemy made off in an Easterly direction for the Railway and A Coy being without Officers lost direction to some extent in following the enemy. The right Coy (B) were very close to the barrage and had to hold back a little while A Coy advanced and here again A Coy appears to have closed to the right.

At 6.5am the right Coy (B) reached their first objective. There was now a decided gap in the line on the left of Battalion which appears to been increased  after the first objective was reached. At this stage Capt. Came of D Coy seeing a gap on the left of A Coy took up one platoon on a left incline to fill this gap. At the same time Col. Barker observing the gap sent forward one platoon of C Coy under Sgt. Simms for the same purpose.

This however was not done until the two leading Coys had passed to the left of Aden House. Immediately after detailing the platoon of C Coy to move forward, Col Barker was seriously wounded. B Coy now had one Officer left, C Coy one Officer and D Coy 2 Officers. The right of B Coy pushed on and reached their final objective i.e. Turenne Crossing. This was at 6.37am . The left of B Coy hung back to keep in line with A Coy who were held up on the road behind Aden House. Then right of A Coy rested on Point V.1.c.74.37.

Consolidation: The Battalion then consolidated on the South side of the Turrene Crossing – Angle Point Road. At 6.40am the right of A Coy was withdrawn about 50 yards for this purpose. Line ran across the railway at Turenne Crossing and along the road to point V.1.c.41.22. On this line A & B Coys with 1 Platoon from C Coy and 1 Platoon from D Coy consolidated in an irregular line of shell holes. The remaining 3 Platoons of C and 3 of D Coys formed another irregular line of posts about 150 yards in the rear.

Casualties 6.45am About 200 other ranks, by noon there remained only the Adjutant, the Signalling Officer and 1 Coy Officer.

At 9.30pm on the 12^th the CO of the 1^st Grenadier Guards came to the Adjutant, Lt. Armstrong, who was in Command of the Battalion and told him he had orders to clear the ground, in conjunction with the Border Regt between Angle Point, Egypt House and the Railway. He asked Lt. Armstrong to warn his Coys which he did but they reported that nothing happened.

About noon on the 13^th Major Irwin Commanding the 7^th Border Regiment called at the Bn HQ and told Lt. Armstrong that he had to meet the CO of the 1^st Grenadier Guards with reference to the clearing up of Aden House. The latter however did not turn up. Major Irwin then sent for one of his Coy Commanders and gave him instructions to take Aden House with 1 Officer and 35 other ranks. This party was shelled on their way up about 2.30pm on the 14^th and they returned without having done anything.

Relief: The Battalion was relieved about 4.45am on the 14^th and the dispositions handed over were as indicated on page 1. There was a gap of about 200 yards between the left of the Battalion and the right of the 1^st Grenadier Guards.