| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
George was born in Beverley in 1887 and was the first son of George and Ada Brigham in a family of ten surviving children nine of whom were boys. His father worked in the local shipyard as a blacksmiths labourer. George`s brothers Walter and Thomas also worked in the shipyard as platers` helpers. George married Mabel Foster in 1909 by which time he was employed on the railway as a labourer. In 1911 he is living at 47 Walmsley Street, Hull with children Hilary Foster aged 4, Vera aged under 1 and sister in law Martha who was married to George`s brother Fred.
The Medal Roll indicates George joined the Coldstream Guards, Private 6093. He went to the Western Front in August 1914. He was awarded the Victory and British Medals and Star which were presented in May 1919.
George was wounded in action and wrote home to his wife, then living in Lairgate Beverley, to say that 'on the first day of the Battle of Aisne in 1914 he was in the firing line when hit by a rifle bullet. Another soldier helped him out of the line and he hobbled for a mile to safety'. Another letter written in Oct 1915, he wrote that he 'had been in the trenches for 7 days and had some near misses under shelling. They were shelled for 2 hours before the Germans attacked but the British responded'. He wrote "I wish it was all over".
In 1939 he was employed as a ship's smith at Beverley shipyard and was living with Mabel and their four children in Beverley. He died in 1961 in Beverley aged 73.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |