Soldier Record

At the outbreak of WW1 my Great-Grandfather George was 32 years of age and served in the trenches in France with the East Surrey Regiment. I am researching this part of his life currently.

A man with a sense of occasion...

A Yorkshireman, he was nicknamed 'Darkey' and was married to Florence Bella Paynter. They had four children, two of whom survived, Amy Ethel born 1912 and Leslie Cecil, an artist throughout his life.

My Father remembers George having 'Special Boots' sent by the Govt after WW1 to help with problems caused by 'Trench Foot'. Despite this, he managed to work as a Lorry Driver.

My Gt-Grandfather liked a drink with his ex-army mates on a Sunday lunchtime and a lie down afterwards at home. He was often seen in the afternoon in bedshirt and night cap wandering through the best Sunday Parlour with his chamber pot; on the way to the garden privy to empty it. But oddly - or perhaps not - only when the vicar was there for afternoon tea... with my highly annoyed Great-Grandmother glowering over the china cups and fruit cake.

A photo at Amy's wedding shows George as an older, softer faced, humorous, smiling and very proud Father-of-the-Bride.