| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
George Frederick Wiles was born at Londesborough on 10 Aug 1880, the son of Frederick Wiles, from North Frodingham and Mary Wiles (nee Dodson) from Butterwick, Lincolnshire. Frederick was a farm labourer regularly changing employers; the family lived in many locations on the edge of the Wolds before settling at Cherry Burton. George became a farm labourer. On 11 May 1907 at the parish church he married Edith Elizabeth Sample, born in 1884 in Norfolk, a domestic servant living in Hessle. They had five children,Wilfred born 1908, Eva born 1909, Hilda born 1911; George born Oct 1916, and Edna born 1920.
George enlisted in 1915, he joined the 11th (Hull) Heavy Battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery. On 8 Feb 1916 they left Devonport for East Africa via the Cape and arrived at Mombasa on 14 Mar 1916. The German colony of Tanganyika had been invaded by British forces but required reinforcement by 1916. The 11th were divided into the 11th and 13th howitzer battaries but it is not known in which George served. The 11th had to trek for 17 days through swamp, bush and mountains to confront the Germans and in June 1916 were involved in prolonged artillery duel with the Germans at Irangi. They then retired to Dodoma. The 13th had followed a coastal route through the Pare mountain range. The war was effectively over by 1917 as German resources dwindled. The 11th and 13th then returned to the UK and went onto France where they were in action in the last stages of the war. George was awarded the War and Victory medals.
George returned to farming and in 1939 was living at Pighill in Molescroft (now Woodhall Way). He died in Jan 1944 in a road accident. Edith died in 1961.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |