Pte 25325 Ernest George

• Age: 21
• From: Bootle, Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Ernest was born in Bootle on 11th April 1895, the son of Ralph George and his wife Mary Jane (nee Lunn). His parents were married in 1892 in Liverpool. Ralph was born in Hawarden, Flintshire, and Mary Jane in Manchester. Although their marriage was registered in the September quarter of 1892, on the 1891 Census they are living as husband and wife in Oregon Street, Bootle. Ralph is a tugboat captain. They had nine children, two of whom died young. Ernest had older brothers William Ralph and Edward, and younger siblings Ralph (who died at age 2), Doris, Bertie, Arthur, another Ralph (who died in infancy), and Rhoda.

Ernest was baptised on the 29th April 1895 at St Mary’s Church, Walton. 

His father is found on an 1894 directory at 43 Cedar Street, Bootle, as a Master Mariner. He was a member of the Freemasons Bootle Lodge.

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at 415 Stanley Road, Bootle. His mother, Mary Jane is 30 years old, and is a greengrocer/employer, working at home with children William 10, Edward 9, Ernest 6, Doris 2 and Bertie 1. Also present are her two sisters Margaret Lunn 28 and Lavinia Lunn 24 who are both shown as greengrocer's assistants. 

His father, 36, is Master of the 'Lady Lewis', a tug with a crew of eight, moored in Toxteth Dock.

By the time of the 1911 Census the family have moved and are now at 35 Field Lane, Litherland. His father, 46, is a Master Mariner and ship owner, his mother is 40. they have been married for 20 years and have had nine children, two of whom have sadly died. They have six children in the household: William aged 19 is an iron engineer, Ernest is a 15 year old mariner who works for a ship owner (possibly his father), Bertie is now shown as 14, Doris 12, Arthur 9 and Rhoda 5. Also in the household is Margaret Lunn, 42, a domestic servant.

Edward, 18, is a deck hand on the tug 'Bison' in Sandon Dock, Kirkdale (the master is listed as R. George).

Prior to enlisting he had been apprenticed to the engineering trade at the C.P.R., Sandon Dock, Liverpool. This was the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, part of Canadian Pacific Steamships.

He enlisted in Liverpool joining the 19^th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 25325, and giving his residence as Seaforth. The amount of the War Gratuity as well as his regimental number suggest that he volunteered in January 1915.

Formed on 07^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain.

Ernest arrived in France with his battalion, disembarking at Boulogne on 07th November 1915.

He was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 21, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

19^th Battalion Diary 

MALTZ HORN FARM

BATTLE begun. ZERO hour 4:45 am. The Battalion reached its objective, but suffered heavy losses, and had to evacuate its position owing to no reinforcements.

Everard Wyrall gives details of the attack in his book The History of The King’s Regiment; 

"The 2nd Attack on Guillemont- 29th July 1916 the 89th Brigade the 20th King's were to attack on the right and the 19th on the left. During the evening of the 29th the night was dark and foggy when the Battalions moved off and the 19th with Lt Col G Rollo commanding, when passing the South east of the Briqueterie they were heavily shelled first with H E and then with a new kind of asphyxiating Gas shell which had curious results, at first it had no nasty effect but about 8 hrs later men began to fall sick with violent headaches and pains in the stomach. All ranks had to wear gas masks which in the darkness and mist made the going terribly difficult. It was indeed wonderful that they were able to reach their Assembly point at all. But they did and by 2.45 a.m. on the 30th July 1916 the Btn was assembled having suffered about 30 Casualties on the way up ready for the Zero hour at 4.45 a.m.

It is known that the two left Companies of the 19th under Capt. Dodd and Capt. Nicholson advanced in touch with the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on their left although they suffered many casualties from Machine gun Fire did not encounter many Germans and reached their final objective about the time allocated, beginning at once to dig in south of the orchard on the South east corner of Guillemont.  

On the left of the 19th the Scots Fusiliers most gallantly forced their way through Guillemont to the eastern side of the village but were soon overwhelmed by the enemy and few returned. 

At 8 a.m. finding that the village was not held the two left Companies of the 19th received no word from the rear or either flank believed themselves to be totally isolated so were forced to fall back and dig in, their position being untenable.

At midday the effective fighting strength of the 19th Btn was just 7 Officers and 43 other ranks. 

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July.

Casualties in the 19^th Battalion were 11 Officers and 435 Other Ranks 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone.

Ernest was initially reported Missing, and his death later presumed to have occurred on or since 30th July 1916.

A report on his death appeared in the Liverpool Evening Express over a year later on the 06th September 1917. 

Pte. Ernest George, K.L.R., reported missing, is now officially reported killed on the 30th July, 1916. Previous to enlisting he was apprenticed to the engineering trade at the C.P.R., Sandon Dock, Liverpool, living at that time with his parents at 14, Gordon-road, Seaforth, Liverpool.

Ernest's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916.

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

He earned his three medals.

His Army pay and a War Gratuity of £6-10s went to his father. The pension card in the name of his mother at 14 Gordon Road, Seaforth, shows that the pension documents were not received from the Paymaster until January 1918. It is not clear whether a pension was awarded.

He was remembered by his family on the occasion of his birthday in the Liverpool Evening Express on Thursday 11 April 1918: 

GEORGE— In ever loving birthday remembrance of our darling son, Private Ernest George, K.L.R., aged 23 years, killed in action, France, July 30, 1916 (Ever remembered by mother, father, sisters, and brothers. Till we meet again. At rest-)— 14 Gordon-road, Seaforth. 

On the 1939 register his parents lived at 47 Grosvenor Road, Liverpool. Ralph, 77, was incapacitated, and Mary Jane, 72, was a shopkeeper (grocer and general). Her two sisters lived with them, Margaret 75, was also incapacitated, and Lavinia, 62, worked as a grocer's shop assistant.

His mother (dob 3rd December 1867) must have moved up to Settle with Ralph and her sisters after the war. In 1946 Margaret Lunn died aged 82, followed shortly afterwards by Mary Jane aged 78. His father (dob 1st Apr 1862) died in 1947 in Kirkby Lonsdale, Westmorland, probate of £602 granted to married daughter Doris Willan and Rhoda's husband Jesse Fletcher. Lavinia Lunn died aged 78 in 1955.  

The C.P.R. erected 23 memorials in their offices in Canada and around the world to honour their employees lost in the war. The Liverpool Memorial is now located in the atrium of the Royal Liver Building, Pier Head:

"THIS TABLET COMMEMORATES THOSE IN THE SERVICE OF THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY COMPANY WHO AT THE CALL OF KING AND COUNTRY LEFT ALL THAT WAS DEAR TO THEM, ENDURED HARDSHIP, FACED DANGER AND FINALLY PASSED OUT OF THE SIGHT OF MEN BY THE PATHS OF DUTY AND SELF SACRIFICE, GIVING UP THEIR OWN LIVES THAT OTHERS MIGHT LIVE IN FREEDOM. LET THOSE WHO COME AFTER SEE TO IT THAT THEIR NAMES BE NOT FORGOTTEN. YPRES, FESTUBERT, THE SOMME, VIMY, HILL 70, PASSCHENDAELE, AMIENS, CAMBRAI, DROCOURT-QUEANT, MONS".

Ernest is also commemorated on the following Memorials:

Waterloo with Seaforth

Linacre County Primary

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