Military History

Theatre of War	Medals	Commonwealth War Grave of Memorial
France and Flanders	1914-14 Star, British War & Victory Medals	Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial
Arrived in Theatre	Medal Citation (if app)	SWFHS Area Memorials
10 Mar 1915	~	Whichford Memorial Plaque
Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed	Date and Place Enlisted Date	Other War Memorials
Second Battle of Ypre~s	Commission 15 Aug 1914	Magdalene College
		Scottish National War Memorial
Place of Death	Previous Regiments or Units	Other Military Informtion
near Hooge	Oxford University OTC 1913 - 1914	Member of Edinburgh Junior OTC

Circumstances Leading to Death (Normally from War Diary)           

Between 2 and 4 May the Battalion began in Zouave Wood, south of the Menin Road to the east of Hooge, and then marched further east, to the point where the front line crossed the Menin Road. Here it stayed until 10 May 1915, losing 80 men killed, wounded and missing during that period mainly because of heavy shelling. On 10 May 1915, the Germans subjected the British trenches to a particularly heavy artillery bombardment, especially north of the Menin Road near Hooge.

"The deadly gas unfortunately did its work only too well[,] and George led the gassed people out of the fire trench by the communication trench. I myself remained in the fire trench being in command of the company holding it. The enemy shelled the communication trench very heavily but I know George got through it all right and also past the short open space into the wood as I saw his tall figure getting there, but the enemy dropped shell after shell into this wood and I am afraid he was killed there[;] we were unable to recover any of the bodies there as we had to evacuate our trench at night, but one or two of my men who were with George say he was blown up by a big shell and I am afraid now it is only too true. I have hoped against hope ever since but no news; so I am sorry to say I fear the worst, as had he been wounded he would have crawled into a dug-out and would have been found".