| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
George Thomas the son of George Sissons Williamson and his wife Jane, was born in Arram in Sep 1884. After leaving school, George worked on a farm in Arram. In 1906, at the age of 22, George married Jessie Oliver in Walkington. In 1911 George and Jessie were living at Kilnwick Gates, Cranswick, with two daughters, Gertrude Jane and Evelyn Margaret, George was working as a platelayer, NE Railway Co. George and Jessie had three more children, Jessie May, George R and Edwin A.
George served with the Royal Munster Fusiliers, he was transferred to the East Yorkshire Regiment, and was taken prisoner in Mar 1918 while taking part in the Michael Offensive on the Somme. A photograph of George and an account of his whereabouts appeared in the Beverley Guardian in May 1918 :
"Mrs. Williamson, Lockington Station, has received a postcard from her husband, Pte. G. Williamson of the Royal Munsters**, saying he is a wounded prisoner of war. Nothing has been heard of him for six weeks so the news came as a great relief. He is the second son of Mr. G. Williamson of Arram and, before enlisting, was ten years with the N.E. Railway Co."
POW details show that at the time of being taken prisoner he had been transferred to the 4th Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment, but no details of his injuries have been found. George was awarded the British War and Victory medals and was demobilised on 31 Mar 1920, after which he returned to his employment with the Railway Company. In 1939 George, Jessie and their son George R were living in Beverley in a railway cottage, he was employed as a railway goods porter.
George died in Oct 1970 aged 86, and his cremated remains were interred in Walkington Churchyard.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |