NUNN, George


No.202423, Private, George NUNN
Aged 19


1st/4th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
formerly 5623,Suffolk Regiment
Died of his Wounds on Thursday, 27th April 1917


Identifying George is very difficult. His Army records show his mother was Jane NUNN but that applies to two George NUNN born around the same time in Haverhill. He seems to be the following
George Herbert NUNN, born Haverhill, (Risbridge Q4-1897 4A:762), son of James George and Jane NUNN (née JOBSON).

1901 census...Aged 3, at Withersfield Road, Haverhill with his father George NUNN [24] a mat weaver, born Haverhill and his mother Jane [28] coat machinist, born Little Wratting

1911 census...Aged 13, an errand boy, at 1 Down's Place, Haverhill with his parents James George (mat weaver) and Jane NUNN (clothing machinist); sister Ellen [6] and brother Frank (Philip Frank)[1] both born in Haverhill.

His father's Army records exist (quite damaged) and give his wife as Jane NUNN of 33 Crowland Road, Haverhill and surviving children as Ellen [1904], Philip Frank [1909] Edith Winifred [1911] and Olive [1913]. His father joined the Suffolk Regiment (#15802) in October 1914, served in France from 30th May 1915 to ? and was demobbed in February 1919 in the Labour Corps.

The South West Suffolk Echo reported on 4th May 1915:-
"Mrs Nunn, of 33 Crowland Road, Haverhill has received sad news that her eldest son, Pte George Nunn of the Suffolk Regt., has died from wounds in a casualty clearing station in France.He was only nineteen years of age, and had been in France for eight months. The young soldier's father is also serving in France, where he had been for about two years. He had not seen his son since he joined up.
Prior to the outbreak of war the deceased soldier was a member of the Territorial Force.The sad news was announced in the following letter written by the Sister in the clearing station:-
"I am very sorry to have bad news to give you.Your brave little son George, of the Suffolks, was brought in on Wednesday dangerously wounded in the left leg. He was very much collapsed and it took us till afternoon of the next day to bring him round enough to have an operation, which was the one chance of saving his life.he seemed much better the next day,but last night blood poisoning set in and he grew rapidly weaker, until 6 pm this evening (April 27th) he passed peacefully away.He was a dear patient little lad and we would have given anything to save him. .Yours with sympathy.."




He attested in Haverhill.
The 4th Suffolks were involved in attacks near the Sensee river on 23rd/24th April at the end of which 104 men were missing.On 24th a party returned to the scene of the action (the Germans having quietly withdrawn several miles to new stronger defensive positions) went out and brought in for burial the body of 2nd Lt HARE and also 11 wounded men. It is likely that George was one of these. The clearing station he was taken to is illegible on his records.



His Sunday School Union plaque in the Congregational Church, Haverhill





photo: Rodney Gibson



George Nunn is buried in Warlincourt Halte British Cemetery, Saulty grave 9:D:5

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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