Military History

George is listed as dying of wounds at 5.50am on 28th March 1916 at the18th General Hospital in Camiers. Hospital admission records show that George was wounded in his left femur and left armpit on 20 March 1916 during local trench warfare actions at the Yser Canal near Ypres. The 2nd Battalion war diary entries for the period 18th to 21st March are transcribed below and indicate that George was wounded by shell fire.

Camp D, Poperinghe - 18 Mar 1916: Battalion paraded at 7pm and marched to Railway Siding just outside Poperinghe where they entrained about 8.30pm and after half an hour in the train the Battalion detrained at the “Asylum” Ypres and marched to dug-outs on the Canal Bank [Yser] on the left of Ypres

Canal Bank, Ypres - 19 Mar 1916: Battalion in dug-outs. Enemy artillery very active but no casualties.

Canal Bank, Ypres - 20 Mar 1916: Enemy commenced about 8am to shell the Canal Bank and continued until 12 noon. Casualties 2 killed, 8 wounded.

Battalion paraded at 9pm and relieved the 3^rd Battalion Coldstream Guards in the trenches in front of St. Jean. Battalion HQ’s were in the remains of houses in St. Jean.

St. Jean – 21 Mar 1916: Battalion in trenches. Casualties 5 Other ranks wounded.

St. Jean – 22 Mar 1916: Battalion relieved by the 3^rd Battalion Coldstream Guards and returned to dug-outs on the Canal Bank. Relief completed about 11.30pm

Casualties: 3 Other ranks