Pte 203094 George Fearon

• Age: 19
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 22nd September 1917
• Commemorated at: Torreken Farm
  Panel Ref: B.11

George Fearon was born in the second quarter of 1897, the son of George Valentine Fearon and hs wife Mary (nee Thompson). George and Mary were married on 17th December, 1892 at St Silas Church, Liverpool.

The 1901 Census shows George as a 4 year old boy in the household of his parents at 3 Dix Street, Toxteth Park.

His father, George is shown as a Ship Stoker/General Labourer born in Liverpool in 1866, whilst his mother is  shown as having been born in Liverpool in 1871. George is the youngest of three children and has an older brother John Henry b.1891, Liverpool and an older sister Winifred b.1894 at Liverpool.   

The 1911 Census shows the family have moved and are living at 22 Leslie Street Toxteth Park Liverpool. Discrepencies in Census records are sadly commonplace as can be seen in the different details recorded in 1911.

His father George is shown as born two years later in 1868 and he is employed as a dock labourer. His mother Mary is aged 37, born three years later in 1874 in Liverpool and has no occupation listed. They have been married for twenty two years and have had five children of which one had died. Of the surving chidren, John aged 20, born 1891 is also a dock labourer, Winnie aged 16, born 1895 and George aged 14, born 1897 have no occupation and Isabella aged 10, born 1901 is at school.

George served in the 18^th Battalion,The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 203094. He was killed in action on the 22^nd September, 1917 aged 19 during the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele). 

18^th Battalion War Diary for 22nd September 1917

Enemy shelled intermittently.  Found working parties to Front Line, Wiring and Digging.

Casualties. Killed

17076 Sergt D Malcolm

203094 Pte G Fearon

57694 Pte B Brearley

202830 Pte J Conway

57784 Pte W Elliott

203179 Pte N. Williams

He now rests at Torreken Farm Cemetery No 1, Belgium where the inscription on his headstone reads:

“SWEET JESUS HAVE MERCY UPOM HIM R.I.P”

Wytschaete was taken by the Germans early in November 1914, and was recovered by Commonwealth forces during the Battle of Messines on 7 June 1917, but fell into German hands once more on 16 April 1918. The village was retaken for the last time on 28 September.  The cemetery, begun by the 5th Dorset Regiment in June 1917 and used as a front line cemetery until April 1918, contains 90 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and 14 German war graves.

The Liverpool Echo dated 17th November, 1917 reported his death:

We currently have no further information on George Fearon. If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.