George Samuel Howard

Name: George Samuel Howard

1886  - 20th September 1917

Place of Birth: Arlesey

Occupation: Waiter

Division: 39th Division

Regiment: Rifle Brigade

Rank: Lance Corporal

Commemorated: Panel 145 to 147, Tyne Cot Memorial Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium

 

Person(s) placing the cross on behalf of the Arlesey Remembers You Project: James Allen & Family

George Samuel Howard was born in Arlesey in 1886, into a very large family, that consisted of - Father, Thomas an engine fitter, born in Willian; mother Martha, born in Great Raveley; brothers: William (born 1878, Bury, Huntingdonshire), Herbert (born 1880, Grantham, Lincolnshire), and Earnest (born 1884, Arlesey), and sisters: Mary (born 1875, Bury), Sarah (born 1877, Bury), Alice (born 1888, Arlesey), Miriam (born 1890, Arlesey) and Edith (born 1891, Arlesey). In 1891 the family were living on the High Street in Arlesey. By 1901 another 4 daughters had been added to the family; Ethel (1893), Norah (1895), Grace (1897) and Winifred (1898). The family were living at 10 New Road, Arlesey, but George is not listed as living with the family in the census of that year.

In 1911 George was living at 7 Holborn Circus in the City of London and was employed as a waiter in a drapery warehouse. In 1914 George married Evelyn Lucy King at Lady Margaret Church, Walworth. It would appear they had two children: Ivy L Howard, born Southwark 1915 and Evelyn G Howard, born Southwark, 1917.

George enlisted for the Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort’s Own) in Southwark, Surrey as he was living in nearby Walworth. He joined the 16th Battalion, which were a service brigade from St Pancras, London formed on 2nd April 1914 by the Parliamentary Recruiting Committee. On 19th July 1915 the battalion were taken over by the War Office and moved to Hursley Park, Winchester were they joined the 117th Brigade of the 39th Division. In September 1915 they were moved to Aldershot and the Witley, before finally being mobilised for war on the 8th March 1916 and landing in Le Harve. In 1917 they were engaged in action, one significant battle being The Battle of the Menin Road Ridge, which took place from 20th to 25th September in the Ypres Salient in Flanders, on the Western Front. The 39th Division (which included the 16th Battalion of the Rifle Brigade) formed part of X Corps and prolonged the southern defensive flank, from Gronenburg Farm northwards down the slope to the Bassevillebeek. The division suffered badly from German fire as it advanced 800 yards to its objective. During this battle 3,148 British men were killed, one of whom was George Samuel Howard.

George is commemorated on the Arlesey War Memorial and is also remembered with Honour at the Tyne Cot Memorial, one of four memorials to the missing in Belgian Flanders, covering the area of the Ypres Salient. The memorial bears the names of 35,00 officers and men whose graves are not known.

 

1891 census GSH 1891 census GSH 1911 census GSH 1911 census GSH birth index GSH CCWGC GSH George Samuel Howard London marraige Banns GSH & ELK London marraige banns original image GSH & ELK

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