George Williams, Age 19

Private, 19530, 7th Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry.

Worcestershire Regiment Cap Badge.

George was the only son of Mr George and Mrs Eliza Mary Williams of Dawley Bank, his grandfather was the late Mr Edwin Gough also of Dawley Bank.

He had received his early education at Malinslee National School before going on to Langley Council School where his uncle Mr W E Gough was Headmaster. He eventually gained a free Scholarship to Coalbrookdale High school where he remained for three years before becoming a junior clerk with Messrs. G H Yorke & co of Wellington. He had also been a prominent member of the Lawley Bank Wesleyan Chapel. George was still working for Messrs. G H Yorke when he enlisted in June 1917 and was drafted to France on April 1st 1918; he had originally served with the South Wales Borderers (2233) before his transfer to the Worcester’s.

Within a couple of weeks George had written home from France, “I take the first opportunity of writing you a few details from France, after leaving Blighty and arriving in France we spent one day at rest camp and then proceeded to the present base by train. That all night journey by a French troop train can be better imagined than described, we are at present at a depot under canvas, it is very peculiar to watch the Indians doing training and more interesting to enter, or more correctly to make a rather vain attempt to enter into conversation with them, although one or two are able to speak fairly fluent English. A noted peculiarity is their eagerness to try to buy any trinket which a British soldier shows to them. There are hundreds of troops passing through towards the line continually and I have met heaps of Shropshire boys here at base”.

Further to the letter from George’s corporal, George’s mother received the second letter from the platoon officer m which he wrote, “I should like to tender my sincerest sympathy to you on your loss. Your son was a good soldier, always bright and cheerful, and I feel his loss greatly. I had charge of the party attending the funeral, and can assure you that everything was carried out well. He lies in a little cemetery, near his Colonel, who was buried the following day”.

George was laid to rest at Tannay British Cemetery at Thiennes in grave V.B. 10. The Colonel mentioned in the Officers letter was Lieutenant-Colonel Bernard Barton aged 39 who died on the 1 1th August 1918 and is buried in grave V.C.4. He was the son of the Reverend Barton of Malton in Yorkshire and had been mentioned in despatches during the war.

Photo courtesy of The War Graves Photographic Project

WWI Medal Rolls Index Card

Commonwealth War Graves
Buried Tannay British Cemetery

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Victory Medal	British War Medal