The Belper War Memorial is situated in the Memorial Gardens at the top of King Street, the main shopping area of Belper. Here are the details of each name on the memorial. This page is for soldiers whose surnames begin with V-W.
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Great War Roll of Honour - Belper War Memorial
Serjeant 32110 Arthur Varney M.M. 11th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment ‘ (The Men from the Greenwood‘) killed in action by shellfire at St Quentin on Friday 4th October 1918 aged 20. He was also wounded on Saturday 1st July 1916 during the first day of the Somme when the Battalion attacked the Leipzig Salient.
"It was as a result of the first appeal to the men of Britain by Lord Kitchener that the 11th (Service) Battalion Sherwood Foresters was formed at Derby on Thursday 17th September, 1914, and the men who were enlisted were largely miners of Nottingham and Derby."
Arthur is buried in the Prospect Hill Cemetery Gouy France. He was awarded the Military Medal on 15th June on the field for gallantry in action fighting the Austrians on the Italian front.Arthur was born in South Wigston, Leicestershire and enlisted in Belper on Sunday 7th November 1915 aged 17 and he was the eldest son of Arthur and Zipporah Varney, (nee Wells) of 4, Field Row, Belper.Before enlisting Arthur worked at Brettles.
Private 70537 Herbert Norman Walker 11th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) killed in action at Ypres on Tuesday 16th January 1917 aged 27 he was on sentry duty in a sap when the Germans started shelling the frontline, a shell exploded close to Herbert and he was killed instantly. He had previously served in Ireland with his Battalion during the 1916 Easter Uprising. Herbert is buried in the Railway Dugouts Burial Ground Iepers Belgium.Herbert was born in Derby and enlisted in 1915, he was a resident of Mill Lane Belper were he lived with his wife and one child, he had been employed at the Denby Ironworks
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Herbert Walker
Serjeant 21189 John William Walker 9th Battalion Sherwood Foresters died of wounds to the shoulder and chest at 5:30am on Friday 29th September 1916 at the 44th Casualty Clearing Station Puchevilliers France. John was wounded during the attack on the Schwaben, Zollern and Hessian Trenches at Theipval on 25th September 1916.He is buried in the Puchevillers British Cemetery France. John was born and enlisted in Belper in January 1915 he was resident in Derby and was the son of Mr James Walker of Far Laund Belper and the Fiancée of Miss Clara F Roper.Before enlisting he had worked at Denby Colliery
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John Walker’s grave at Puchevillers.
Serjeant 14299 Joseph Walker 10th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) killed in action on Friday 3rd March 1916 aged 22 during an attack on German Trenches at the Ypres Commines Canal. Joseph has no known grave and is commemorated on The Ypres Menin Gate Memorial Belgium. Each night at 8 pm the traffic is stopped at the Menin Gate while members of the local Fire Brigade sound the Last Post in the roadway under the Memorial's arches.
The Memorial bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known.Born and resident in Belper Joseph enlisted in Derby in September 1914 and was the son of Mrs. H. Walker, of High St., Belper he was the eldest of seven children and was over six feet tall.Before joining up Joseph was employed at Ford’s Colliery Marehay
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Joseph Walker.
Private 54448 Cyril Usherwood Wardle 2nd/4th Battalion Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) killed in action at Ramponeau on Monday 4th November 1918 aged 19. 2nd/4th Battalion Duke of Wellington's was formed at Halifax in September 1914 as a home service ("second line") unit. They moved to Derbyshire on Monday 1st March 1915 attached to 186th Brigade in the 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division. Moved to Thoresby Park (Ollerton) in May 1915. Moved in October 1915 to Retford, November 1915 to Newcastle, January 1916 to Salisbury Plain, June 1916 Halesworth, October 1916 to Bedford.
They finally landed in France in January 1917He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial France.This Memorial bears the names of over 9,000 men who fell in the period from 8th August 1918 to the date of the Armistice in the Advance to Victory in Picardy and Artois, between the Somme and Loos, and who have no known grave.
Cyril was born in Liverpool and enlisted in Liverpool in May 1918, however he was resident in Belper and was the grandson of the late Mr William Wardle of Belper and the son of Mr Ernest U Wardle of Liverpool.Before the war Cyril worked for his uncle Mr L A Burton a confectioner of Belper who had adopted him at seven years of age, he was a member of the Baptist Church and joint secretary of the Sunday School.
Private 030096 John William Wass Calais Depot Royal Army Ordnance Corp. Died at the No 10 Canadian Stationary Hospital Calais on Friday 31st January 1919 aged 26 from severe influenza followed by pneumonia. In April 1915, No.6 Base Supply Depot was started at Calais to help relieve the pressure on Boulogne and to provide a base nearer to the front than Havre or Rouen. The base remained open until the last Commonwealth forces left France in March 1921.John is buried in the Les Baraques Military Cemetery Sangatte France.
John was the son of William Charles and Lucy Ann Wass, of The Butts, Belper. He was the husband of Alice Wass, of 1, Hopping Hill Terrace, Milford, they had one child.Before enlisting John had been a collector and inspector for the Derby Gas Company and had been a well known local footballer as a fullback ‘there were few in the district his equal’. John had a brother, Norman E Wass, who served with the 25th King’s Liverpool’s, Norman survived the war.
Private 24661 Albert Waterfall 15th Battalion "Nottingham" [Bantam] Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) died of wounds at No 10 Casualty Station on Wednesday 1st August 1917 aged 20. He is buried in the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery. During the First World War, the village of Lijssenthoek was situated on the main communication line between the Allied military bases in the rear and the Ypres battlefields. Close to the Front, but out of the extreme range of most German field artillery, it became a natural place to establish casualty clearing stations.The 15th (Bantam) Battalion, made up initially of men who although fit were below the normal minimum service height of 5' 3", moved to France with the 35th (Bantam) Division in 1916.
The Battalion fought with great distinction and heavy casualties throughout the 1916 battles on the Somme. However at the end of 1916, the problems of finding 'bantam' reinforcements in sufficient numbers became too difficult; the 15th Foresters was redesignated a normal 'service' battalion and fought as such until the end of the War.
Born and resident in Belper Albert enlisted in Derby in March 1915 and was the youngest son of William and Mary Ellen Waterfall, of 172, Over Lane, Openwoodgate, Belper.Prior to enlisting he had been employed at Denby Colliery.He was the brother of Alfred Waterfall, his other brother Percy served in France with a Lewis Gun Section and survived.
Private 26945 Alfred Waterfall 1st Garrison Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) Died of enteric fever at Port Suez Egypt on Sunday 26th August 1917 aged 29. Alfred is buried in the Suez War Memorial Cemetery Egypt. The 1st Garrison Battalion was formed in Lichfield in July 1915. In October 1915 it began transferring to Egypt, via Malta and Gallipoli.Suez was an important hospital centre during the First World War with two Indian general hospitals, two stationary hospitals and casualty clearing stations based there at various times.
Born and resident in Belper Alfred enlisted in Derby and was the son of Mr William Waterfall and Mary Ellen Waterfall of 172, Over Lane, Belper and the husband of Sarah Waterfall, of 157, Nottingham Rd., Belper, they had two young children a boy and a girl.Prior to enlisting Alfred was employed at the White Lea Pit near Ripley where his father was also employed.He was the brother of Albert Waterfall, his other brother Percy served in France with a Lewis Gun Section and survived.
Private 25665 Leonard Waterfall 16th Battalion ('Chatsworth Rifles') Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) Killed in Action during The Battle of the Ancre Heights on Sunday 3rd September 1916 aged 21. Leonard is buried in the Knightsbridge Cemetery Mesnil-Martinsart France. Leonard enlisted in the spring of 1915 (the third brother to join the colours*) and went to France a few months later. Prior to enlisting he worked at Captain Lowe's Denby Colliery.The attack started at 5.10am after an intensive bombardment lasting four minutes. The 17th Battalion successfully reached the German 1st and 2nd lines. However, following several unsuccessful attempts the 16th Battalion Rifle Brigade were unable to hold their objective and as a consequence the 17th Battalion were forced to retire.
As a whole the Division were unable to reach and consolidate their objectives.
"Dear Mr and Mrs Waterfall and family - I feel I must write a few lines to sympathise with you in your sad loss of your son Leonard . . . . . As you will know we had been in action on the Sunday morning, September 3rd and Leonard was killed in the afternoon. I came across him after we had come out of our attack and I will remember how pleased we both were to see each other . . . . as so many of us, along with Leonard were sent of to get the wounded boys in and when I got back I heard the sad news about Leonard."
The three Waterfall’s who died were all brothers A fourth brother, Ernest served as a Gunner in the R.F.A. and survived the War being discharged in early 1917 due to the effects of being gassed. Percy the youngest brother enlisted in 1916 (serving with a Lewis Gun Section of the Sherwood Foresters) and also survived the War. Sons of William and Mary Ellen Waterfall, of 172, Over Lane, Belper, Derby.
Private (Signaller) 36228 Henry Herbert Waterfield 1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) killed in action at Hendicourt on Saturday 14th April 1917 aged 26. Herbert has no known grave and is commemorated on The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, which bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom who died in the Somme sector before 20th March 1918 and have no known grave.Son of George Waterfield a Domestic Coachman and Harriett Waterfield, of The Cottage, Marsh Lane, Belper.
Private 200065 Ernest Wathall 15th Battalion "Nottingham" [Bantam] Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) Killed in action on Monday 14th October 1918 aged 22 during the severe fighting at Hill 41, a little south of the village of Dadizeele (now Dadizele).At 5.32 a.m. on October 14th, in fine but foggy weather, the great assault was launched, the 15th Battalion were attacking a large fortified farmhouse when Ernest was shot in the head and he died instantaneously.
Extract from the 15th Battalion’s War Diary. 14th October 1918
Large scale operations continue. Battalion assembled on the Viet Wegen road at 0300, behind the Cheshire’s. Advanced with little opposition, in dense mist. Resistance stronger near Cabin Copse.Ernest is buried in the Dadizeele New British Cemetery Belgium.
He had served in Ireland with his Battalion during the 1916 Easter Uprising.Born and enlisted in Belper Ernest was resident in Kilburn and the youngest son of Mr and Mrs John Wathall of Chesterfield Road Belper, he was the husband of Edith Ellen (‘Nellie‘) Wathall, (nee Barker) of 1, North Terrace, Kilburn, Derby, they were married in September 1914.Prior to enlistment he worked at Ford’s Colliery Marehay, he was described as ‘a fine manly fellow‘.
Private 16196 Frederick Watson 1st Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment Died of severe head wounds at the General Hospital Rouen on Friday 2nd June 1916 aged 19 he was attached to the machine gun section of the Lincolnshire Regiment . Frederick is buried in the St Sever Cemetery Rouen France.During the First World War, Commonwealth camps and hospitals were stationed on the southern outskirts of Rouen. They included eight general, five stationary, one British Red Cross, one labour hospital, and No. 2 Convalescent Depot. Born and resident in Belper Frederick was the son of William and Margaret Watson, of 33, Long Row, Belper.
Private 32544 Frederick Arnold Watson 10th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) died of wounds, (including a broken leg received on Saturday 15th July 1916), at St Lukes Hospital Bradford on Thursday 27th July 1916 aged 19.He was buried in the Belper Cemetery with full military honours.Born and resident in Belper Frederick enlisted in Derby.
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Frederick Watson and his gravestone.
Private 3829 Harold Watson 2nd Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) Killed in action at Neuve Chappelle on Sunday 21st March 1915 aged 20. Harold is buried in Houplines Communal Cemetery Extension FranceBorn and resident in Belper Harold enlisted in Nottingham in August 1914 and was the son of John and Ann Watson, of 58, Long Row, Belper.Before the war Harold worked at the New Denby Pit.He was the brother of Wilfred Watson who also perished.
Private 25628 James Arnold Watson Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) attached to Labour Corps Died at home on Wednesday 23rd October 1918 aged 28 after spending 14 weeks in the Derby Infirmary suffering from heart trouble following the effects of being gassed, he was sent home from the hospital on Saturday 19th of October 1918 and died 5 days later. James was buried in the Belper Cemetery with full military honours.James was the husband of Nellie Day (formerly Watson), of 33, Queen St., Belper, they had three children, and was the sixth son of Mr Benjamin Watson of Shireoaks Belper.Prior to enlisting in 1915 James had worked at the Ambergate Wireworks and Milford Mills
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James Watson’s grave Belper Cemetery.
Sapper 201326 Thomas Brooks Watson 260th Railway Company Royal Engineers. Died of wounds at the 101st Field Ambulance on Wednesday 9th January 1918 aged 38.Born and resident in Belper Thomas enlisted in Derby and was a Railway Shunter.
Private 42069 Wilfred Watson 10th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) Died of wounds at Le Treport on Monday 19th August 1918 aged 21 as a result of a German gas attack. His parents were given permission to visit him in hospital in France however when they reached London they were informed by the military office of his death.He is buried in Mont Huon Military Cemetery Le Treport France.During the First World War, Le Treport was an important hospital centre the town contained three general hospitals (the 3rd, 16th and 2nd Canadian), No.3 Convalescent Depot and Lady Murray's B.R.C.S. Hospital.
Born and resident in Belper Wilfred enlisted in Derby in April 1915 and was the son of John and Ann Watson, of 58, Long Row, Belper.Prior to enlisting he was apprenticed to Mr John Haynes and worked for 4 years as a joiner.He was the brother of Harold Watson who also died.
Private 35277 Stanley Webster 1st/5th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment died of wounds at No 1 Australian Casualty Station Ypres on Thursday 11th April 1918 aged 18, he had been wounded in action the previous day Wednesday 10th April 1918. He is buried in the La Kreule Military Cemetery Hazebrouck France. La Kreule Military Cemetery was opened in April 1918 by the 1st and 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Stations, which came back from Outtersteene ahead of the German advance, and the 17th, which arrived from Lijssenthoek.
Stanley was the son of Stanley Webster a Frame Work Knitter & Grocer and Constance Webster of 1, Halfway House, Derby Rd., Belper.Before the war Stanley had worked as a hosiery hand for Moore and Edy of Derby, he had 3 sisters, Edna, Lucy and Lily.
Private 32963 Joseph Weston 7th Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment killed in action on Messines Ridge during the Battle of Messines on Saturday 9th June 1917 aged 27.On June 9th The Battalion suffered heavy shelling and sustained many casualties. Joseph is buried in the Messines Ridge British Cemetery
Born and resident in Belper Joseph enlisted in Derby and was the son of Abram Weston a Brick maker and Emily Weston, of High Street Belper and the husband of Maud Weston, of 3, North Terrace, Belper they had a one year old child.Before enlisting Joseph had worked at Denby Pottery was a member of the Congregational Church and a well known local footballer.Lance
Corporal 19537 William Whawell 2nd Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment (Formerly 22377, Notts & Derby’s Regiment) transferred to the Northamptonshire Regiment just prior to embarkation to France on Tuesday 13th July 1915. William and his draft joining the 2nd Battalion in the trenches near Fromelles on Wednesday 21st July 1915.He died of wounds at the 2nd Australian Hospital Wimeraux on Sunday 31st March 1918 aged 31.William is buried in Wimereux Communal Cemetery France.Born in Belper enlisted in Derby William was the husband of F. Whawell, of Marsh Lane, Belper.
Private 37070 Ernest Harrison Wheatley 1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment Killed in action at Bellewaerde Ridge Ypres on Wednesday 1st August 1917 aged 33. Ernest is buried in the Divisional Collecting Post Cemetery Ieper, West-Vlaanderen Belgium.Born and resident in Belper Ernest enlisted in Stratford on Avon and was the son of George and Elizabeth Wheatley, of 7, Long Row, Belper.In 1901 Ernest was a Boot Shop Assistant.
Private 26514 William Wheatley 11th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) Killed in Action at Zillebeke on Tuesday 24th April 1917 aged 19. William is buried in the Railway Dugouts Burial Ground Iepers Belgium.Born and resident in Belper William enlisted in Derby.Private 41087 Frederick White 7th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment. Killed in action during the battle for Bouzincourt village on Sunday 31st March 1918 aged 19. Bouzincourt village remained partly in German hands after the battles of March 1918.
He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial France.Born and resident in Belper Frederick enlisted in Derby and was the son of Frederick White a bricklayer and Eliza White, of Wirksworth Rd, Belper.
Private 42961 Robert Wigley 1/1st Battalion Cambridgeshire Regiment killed in action on the first day of the Battle of Epehy on Wednesday Tuesday 18th September 1918 aged 18, dying within minutes of being shot in the abdomen.The British-led assault went ahead on the morning of September 18th 1918, with a creeping artillery barrage from approximately 1,500 guns, as well as 300 machine guns. Although the Germans held steady on both flanks, they were soundly defeated in the centre by the Allied advance. He is buried close to where he fell in the Epehy Wood Farm Cemetery Somme France.
Robert was the second son of Mr Albert Edward Wigley a Joiner and Mrs. Sarah Wigley, of Handley Wood, Shottle, Belper.Prior to enlisting Robert had been apprenticed to Mr Beresford butcher of Bridge Street and had been a member of the Wesleyan Chapel at Shottle.
Robert Wigley.
Serjeant 200005 William Wilkinson Machine gun Section 1st/5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme on Saturday 1st July 1916 aged 36. He was attached to the machine gun section of the Sherwood Foresters and had been in the local Territorial force for 9 years before joining up. On 1st July 1916 the 139th Brigade went over the top at Gommecourt and was cut to ribbons. The 1/5th Battalion suffered particularly badly. 184 men and 11 Officers were killed.Extract from the 5th Battalion History. ‘The two Machine Gun Sections of the Fifth went over with the Battalion but were wiped out before covering 150 yards’.
On 1st July 1916, supported by a French attack to the south, thirteen divisions of Commonwealth forces launched an offensive on a line from north of Gommecourt to Maricourt. Despite a preliminary bombardment lasting seven days, the German defences were barely touched and the attack met unexpectedly fierce resistance ( the Allied Forces had been told they would be able to walk over no-mans land). Losses were catastrophic and with only minimal advances on the southern flank, the initial attack being a catastrophic failure.William has no known grave and is commemorated on The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.
Born 1880 in Belper and enlisted in Belper William was the husband of Emily Wilkinson, of High Street, Belper, they had two sons aged 7 and 10.He was the son of Mr William Wilkinson and the late Mrs Wilkinson of Windmill Lane Belper. William worked for Holden’s before joining up.
Gunner 221868 Alfred Williams No.1 Depot Royal Field Artillery Died on Friday 16th March 1917 aged 19 in Newcastle-on-Tyne from spotted fever (usually caught from dogs or from tick bites). The No.1 Depot Royal Field Artillery was based in Newcastle-on-Tyne during 1914-1918.Alfred was buried in the Belper Cemetery with full military honours.Alfred was born in Belper and enlisted in Derby on Friday 2nd February 1917 he had only been in the army for 5 weeks. He was the son of Frank and Lucy Williams of Hillcrest, Windmill Lane, Belper.Prior to enlisting Alfred worked at the Ambergate Wireworks and a member of the Belper Wesleyan Church.He had a brother George and a sister Eva
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Memoriam for Alfred from the Belper Post
Alfred William’s Grave.
Private 37270 John Maurice Wilmot 2nd Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Killed in action near Arras on Tuesday 28th May 1918 aged 19.John is buried in the Berles New Military Cemetery France. The village of Berles-au-Bois remained in British hands from the summer of 1915, when it was taken over from French troops, until the end of the War; but it suffered at times from severe shelling. Born and enlisted in Belper John was the only son of John Wilmot who was a coal dealer and keeper of a fried fish shop and Mary Wilmot, of 6, Nottingham Rd., Belper, he also had a Fiancée Bella.
Lance Corporal 28007 George Winson ‘B’ Company 12th (Pioneers) Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) Killed in action South east of Zillebeke on Wednesday 27th June 1917 aged 35. According to the War Diary the area of Zillebeke was, ‘shelled at odd intervals during the day‘.George has no known grave and is commemorated on The Menin Gate which is one of four memorials to the missing in Belgian Flanders which cover the area known as the Ypres Salient.Born and resident in Belper George enlisted in Derby and was the son of George Winson a Gas Works Labourer and Sarah Winson, of 13, Canada St., Belper and the husband of Mary Ellen Fletcher (formerly Winson), of 12, Croft Cottages, Cow Hill, Belper they had five young children.In 1901 George was a Carrier.
Private 201983 Fred Woolley 2nd/5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) killed in action at Ribecourt during the Battle of Cambrai on Wednesday 5th December 1917 aged 23. He was with a large group of men who were occupying a captured German dugout when a fire broke out. There were several shafts but some were just air holes capped over with concrete.
Fred and another man dashed up one of these, his Sergeant shouted for them to come back and try another exit, but it was too late. When the Sergeant reached the surface he gathered some men together and tried to open up the shaft were Fred and the other man were trapped, however without the proper tools to get through the concrete cap the attempt had to be abandoned.
Because of his athleticism Fred was for sometime employed as the Battalion runner, delivering messages to and from headquarters, at times under heavy fire.
Fred has no known grave and is commemorated on The Cambrai Memorial which commemorates more than 7,000 servicemen of the United Kingdom who died in the Battle of CambraI.Sir Douglas Haig described the object of the Cambrai operations as the gaining of a 'local success by a sudden attack at a point where the enemy did not expect it' and to some extent they succeeded. The proposed method of assault was new, with no preliminary artillery bombardment. Instead, tanks would be used to break through the German wire, with the infantry following under the cover of smoke barrages. The attack began early in the morning of Tuesday 20th November 1917 and initial advances were remarkable.
However, by Thursday 22nd November, a halt was called for rest and reorganisation, allowing the Germans to reinforce. From 23rd to 28th November, the fighting was concentrated almost entirely around Bourlon Wood and by 29th November, it was clear that the Germans were ready for a major counter attack. During the fierce fighting of the next five days, much of the ground gained in the initial days of the attack was lost.
Previous to serving in France Fred served with his Battalion in Ireland during the 1916 Easter Uprising.Born and resident in Belper Fred was the son of Samuel Woolley a Clerk in the estate office of Mr Strutt and Mary Woolley, of 71, Long Row, Belper. As a boy he had been a member of the Christ Church Choir.
Second Lieutenant Henry Gordon Wright 5th Battalion attached to the 11th Battalion Middlesex Regiment born 1885 in Canterbury killed in action near Arras on the first day of the Battle of Arras France on Easter Monday 9th April 1917 aged 32 his Company had been chosen to lead the first wave of the attack. When the battle started, on Easter Monday the 9th April, the weather was bitterly cold. It had been the hardest winter for decades, making life extremely miserable in the trenches. The attack took place in showers of rain, sleet and snow.
Henry was a gifted artist, he had designed and painted the illuminated scroll for the fallen of the Belper Conservative Club to which, unfortunately his own name was added. He was an Art Teacher at the Herbert Strutt School, and had also been acting Commander of the Belper Home Guards
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Henry Wright.
In 1908, Henry decided to form a Hockey team and with that, Belper Hockey Club was born.Henry is buried in the Saint Catherine British Cemetery Arras France.He left a wife but no children.
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Henry Gordon Wright’s MIC Card.
Private 1643 George Wynne 1st/5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment). Killed in action on Wednesday 23rd June 1915 aged 19 shot through the heart by a sniper when entering the trenches near Hooge, Ypres.As the Battalion was moving up to the front they were spotted by a German plane and they came under severe shelling, rifle and machine gun fire resulting in 7 men killed and 12 wounded, George was one of the 7 killed.
He had celebrated his nineteenth birthday in the trenches a few weeks earlier. George is buried in the Sanctuary Wood Cemetery Belgium. On his grave stone it says buried near this spot.
Born and enlisted in Belper on Tuesday 4th August 1914 he had joined the Territorial’s at the age of fifteen in 1911. George was the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Wynne, of 1, China New Rd., Belper. Before enlisting George was a Platelayer for the Midland Railway and described as ‘being of fine physique’
What Is War?
War is how the old cull the youth
War destroys beauty and truth
They tell of the glories of the past
They stood back to back
And fought to the last
Among the upright stones
Let them talk of war
Above the poor misguided bones
And as about them they stare
Let them start war if they dare.
