EDWARDS, George
No. 35105, Driver, George William EDWARDS
Aged 37
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Born in Sutton in 15th July 1883, [Ely 3b:539] baptised 12th August 1883 at Sutton Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, the son of William and Sarah
Jane EDWARDS (née
ALLINGTON) of Main Street, Coveney, nr Witchford. 1891 census...at Main Street, Coveney, Witchford were George W [7] his father William [30], an farm labourer, born Haddenham...his mother Sarah [40] born Sutton...his sister Annie F [5], born Sutton..step-sister Mary E ALLINGTON[20] born Sutton and grandmother Rebecca ALLINGTON [80]. His father married Sarah Jane ALLINGTON in 1882. 1901 census...He was boarding with his brother in law,George Sutton at 44 Hills Road, Cambridge, he was a Barman at a college. The rest of his family have not been found, Army forms indicate at some time his next of kin was father William EDWARDS at "Greys Head" Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire. That was changed, presumably on death of father to younger brother Charles of the same address, and then to wife Beatrice 1911 census...He was a married stableman, but a boarder at Jeffery's Drive, Exning. He had married Beatrice WEBBER [6-3-1884] at St Martin's Church, Exning on 28th January, 1911 and a daughter, Iris, was born on 20th November, 1911. Beatrice was with her parents at East End, Isleham for the 1911 census and they later lived at 3 Hillside Terrace, Lacey's Lane, Exning. Another daughter, Vera Lilian, was born on 9th June 1916. George was the brother in law of Seaman Frederick WEBBER of Hawke Battalion, Royal Naval Division, a prisoner of war who died in a German hospital in Sennelager shortly after the war from pleurisy and is on the Isleham war memorial. click here to go to Frederick's entry. |
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There are 8 pages of military service records to be seen. In between 1901 and 1911 census he had enlisted in the Royal Horse Artillery,
signing on 31st August 1904 at Cambridge for 3 yrs in the colours and 9 Reserves. He was 5' 6" (167.6 cm)tall and weighed 132 lbs (60.1 kg).Posted to Woolwich at first, he seems
to have enjoyed Army life,extending to 6 yrs colours and 6 yrs Reserves in 1907, and was discharged to the Reserves on 31 Aug 1910. As a reservist he was called back in the day war broke out, 5 August 1914 and went to France 10 days later. He was awarded the clasp to his 1914 Star He had had pleurisy before mobilisation but got better. By November he had contracted pleurisy and was admitted to No 2 Clearing Hospital, then sent to No 11 General Hospital, Boulogne, and on 21st November came back to England on the "Carisbroke Castle". Admitted to 1st Eastern Hospital Cambridge on May 26 1915, he was discharged as no longer fit for War Service on 15th July 1915. The pleurisy was 'aggravated by military service' according to his records. His employment prior to his release was electric train driver. There is then another set of Army forms indicating being called for service at the age of 33 years 11 months for the duration of the war, on 26th June 1917, posted to RFA on 27th June and sent to Depot and posted to Riding Establishment R.H.A. Woolwich on 24th July 1917 and was again discharged as physically unfit for war service on 9th September 1919. Then a confusing set of reports and amendments to pensions as his family was added to by the birth of his second daughter, and his changing state of health. Amazingly his 75% incapacity changed to 30% by June 1917 and seemingly vanished as they re called him, but by January 1918 but by 1918 it was back to 50% and by June 1919 it was as low as 80%. They seemed to have realised in January 1918 he was back in the Army but still they had still been paying his pension which was then stopped. After the event it seems strange they had ever recalled him in 1917 as he was obviously not fit enough. |
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details