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- A family member says:-
He joined up aged 16 and was a POW in Germany following the battle of the Somme. His father got him out of the army once or twice (?), and after that essentially disowned him, and the money from his father's estate did not come to him.
The military history that I have found is as follows:-
He lied on most of the documents to join up and put DOB as 9/2/1896 (ie 2 years older than he actually was)
He joined the RGA or RFA as a gunner/bombadier in Mar 1915, his reg number was L/6511 (or 6551?). He went AWOL (or his father encouraged him so to do) in Aug 1915, and then joins the 1st East Surrey reg (reg number 12673, transcribed 12675 by the red cross). I cannot find out when he joined, but the family story has him being gassed and then taken prisoner at the Somme. This is certainly consistent with the ICRC records that have him in ?Oppy?, Lille in 8/5/17 or Fresney(?) 8/5/17 (not sure I know how to read these records), and is repatriated arriving back in Hull on 29/11/18 aboard SS Takada. The Forces War Records site records a field hospital (I think) with him having inflammation of connective tissue and feet (presumably gas) on 3/9/16. This implies 6 months in theatre and 18m in service, though I am inclined to not take this as too accurate. The war diary for the 1st East Surrey Reg does not give any indication of a gas attack around 3rd Sept, nor in the preceding month.
The final part of the story is that he then signs up with the RAF 26/4/19 and stays with them till 21/4/21, when he is discharged as "no longer physically fit for active service". The RAF sheet gives a number of 329156 (is this a reg number?), and says his service in the East Surreys finishes the day before he joins up. Nobody in the family has heard of the last part, and I am intrigued by somebody who possibly missed the camaraderie of military service enough to keep going, even after his time in the trenches.
At the 1921 Census (19 Jun 1921) sees him as an out of work Turner, lodging at another address in Newington. His place of work is given as "H M Forces".
Data from electoral rolls gives GHW living as follows (all electoral rolls are Oct of the given year)
1919, 6, Etherdon St, with Emma, also Alfred PALMER and Richard and Florence WILLSON. George is given as absent in HM Forces (as is Richard WILLSON, but not Alfred PALMER)
1920, as 1919... Richard is now back at home
1921, as 1920, now living at home
1922, as 1921
1923, 55, Sayer St. Also there is Harold NORMAN. Note that Mabel (his wife) is not there. My understanding now of the rules is that women over the age of 30 were entitled to vote (until 1928, when it dropped to 21). So she was 30, but I cannot find her easily anywhere else, so maybe given the fact that she was only 30 meant she forgot, did not bother etc.....
1924, as 1923, with Mabel also listed
1925, as 1924
1926, 40 Chatteris Sq. This is consistent with the info given on Emma (MERRINGTON)'s death certificate. William and Christina SMITH were at no 38.
1927, as 1926
1928, as 1927
1929, as 1928 - note this means EAW born in No 40, not 38...
1930, 38, Chatteris Square. At No 40 is William and Elizabeth HUGHES
1931-4 inclusive, as 1930
1935-1939, as 1930, but also Ethel Edith EDWARDS appears - this makes sense, born 1914 she would be 21 and therefore on the voter list
There were no rolls for 1940-44.
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