| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
George Eldon was born in Beverley in 1874, one of seven children born to Charles Eldon and his wife Sarah Ann. Charles was a cowkeeper, later a farmer, supplying milk locally. They lived at 129 Keldgate, Beverley. Charles entered the family business, and on 18 Nov 1899 he married Ellen Boulton at Beverley Minster. They had two children: Fred, born 21 May 1904 and George William, born 9 Dec 1913.
George spent 5 years with the part-time East Yorkshire Volunteers and on 12 Jan 1901, at Doncaster, he enlisted in the 3rd Battalion of the Imperial Yeomanry. He served in the Second Anglo-Boer War in South Africa from Mar 1901 to Aug 1902. On his return he returned to agriculture and in the 1911 census was recorded as a “farm hind” living in Beverley Parks. The family later moved to 114 Keldgate.
At the age of 40, George re-enlisted for military service on 30 May 1915. He joined the 6th Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment and left for Gallipoli, Turkey, on 21 Sep1915. Following successful evacuation from Turkish territory the 6th were sent to Egypt to guard the Suez Canal. The 6th were transferred back to France in early July 1916. In Jan 1917 he was transferred to the Yorkshire Regiment in France and on 31 Aug 1917 George was moved to the Labour Corps Area Employment Company. His records do not indicate that he had been wounded; rather that because of “general disability”, he was taken off front-line duties. He remained in France until early Feb 1919 on labour duties. He was awarded the 1915 Star and the War and Victory Medals.
George returned to Beverley and on 14 Jun 1921 he died at home of unknown causes, at the age of 47. He was buried at St Martin’s Cemetery, Queensgate, Beverley in a designated war grave.
Includes information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |