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Recruit training with the North Staffordshire Regiment at Alton Towers would have been no hardship for an already-fit George, aged 20 in 1939. A keen Youth Hosteller and cyclist, he thought nothing of cycling home from camp whenever the opportunity presented itself. Soon he was to find an even greater interest. On being posted to Barnard Castle, he was given a local address by a former workmate where he was told he would find a welcoming family — so welcoming, it proved, that George was married to the daughter Beatrice by the time he was posted abroad. Trained as an armourer, he had transferred to REME via the Royal Engineers and it was his job to service the personal weapons that REME carried. After service in North Africa, where he swam ashore after the sinking of his landing craft, he followed up the invasion of Sicily with the unit he was supporting. On 3rd August 1943 he was riding on the tailgate of the 17cwt truck with which he, his driver-mate and their equipment were going forward when, on arrival, George was found to be missing. His mate returned for him, only to find him dead by the road — killed outright by a bullet or a shell splinter. George was buried in Catania War Cemetery, perhaps never knowing that Beatrice was to present him with a son, Richard, who sadly, survived him by only 2½ years.

This story was donated by Andrew McCloy and Norman Wilson, and was submitted to the site by Alison Tebbutt, Derby CSV Action Desk. The author has given his permission and fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

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