| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information
George was born in Apperley Bridge near Bradford on November 8th 1887 and baptised at St Wilfrid's Church in Calverly on December 31st of that year. He was one of nine children born to William Hughes (1859)-1929) and his wife Mary (1861-1939). William was originally from Talybont in Wales and was a rector in the Church of England, later at Skelton, near Guisborough in North Yorkshire and then at Hawnby near Helmsley. George attended Christ's Hospital public school in London from 1898 to 1903. He came to Beverley to work as a clerk in the Midland Bank and in the 1911 census is recorded as a boarder at 57 Westwood Road, the home of Hannah Frankish. George was an active member of the Beverley Town Cricket Club. He was unmarried.
George joined the army in 1914 and served as a private in the 10th Battalion of the East Riding Regiment, the "Hull Commercials", the 1st Hull Pals. They were sent to Egypt in December 1915 on Suez Canal protection duties but then moved to France in March 1916. George would have taken part in actions on the Somme, especially at Serre in November 1916 and in the Battle of Arras in May 1917. Having reached the rank of corporal he was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the 6th Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment on May 28th 1918. The 6th were involved in the Battle of Lys in Belgium in Autumn 1918 and in actions against the retreating German armies at Selle and in Picardy. On October 12th George was awarded the Military Cross "for leading an attack on a strong machine gun post south of Neuilly and putting it out of action". However on November 4th 1918 George, aged 30, died of wounds incurred in the Battle of Mormal Forest. He was posthumously awarded a second Military Cross. His citation noted: "After reaching the first objective, he led forward half his company with the barrage to exploit success. This resulted in his reaching a farm where he captured nearly 200 prisoners and 6 machine guns after considerable opposition. He then reorganised his company and consolidated on the final objective. His example kept the men steady and well in hand".
George is buried at Caudry British Cemetery in France. He was also awarded the 1915 Star and the War and Victory Medals. He is commemorated on the Hengate Memorial and on the Beverley Town Cricket Club Roll Of Honour but not on the East Riding Memorial in the Minster. George's brother, Harold, serving in the Royal Field Artillery had been killed at Vimy Ridge on April 23rd 1917.
Includes information taken from census, military records, newspapers |