George Douglas was born in 1895 at Oswestry. He, and his seven siblings, had been brought up living at 18 Orchard Street, Oswestry. His mother and father were Jessie and Robert Douglas; his father worked as a wine and spirit merchant’s assistant . Altogether there would be ten children with nine surviving. In 1911 George, age 16, was working as an errand boy in a cycle shop. By the outbreak of war the family were living at 25 Beatrice Street where his father ran a wine and spirits merchants or ‘off licence’.

George was one of the first to volunteer and enlisted in 5 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry and served in D company – this was the first of the Service Battalions to be formed in the county, pre-dating the Oswestry Pals (6 Bn KSLI). He went over to France on the 20 May 1915, landing at Boulogne. He was KIA about a month later on 20 June 1915 at Bellewaarde, Ypres. The battalion had gone into the line the day before with A and D companies in the front line and B and C in support. Battalion HQ was in Gordon House, a shell shattered farm house near to Zillebeke about 2km SW of Bellewaarde. Unusually for a Private soldier George is mentioned by name in the War Diary, the entry for 20 June reads – ‘Heavy shelling at times. Stood to arms all night thinking we were going to attack…….Pte Douglas D Coy killed and buried at HQ, 7 other ranks wounded’.

His parents received a letter from Lance Corporal Harry William, one of his mates, and reprinted in the BCA, giving an account of his death. He had been hit in the throat by a rifle grenade and died instantaneously. The letter goes on to say that George was not in his company but that he had often met up with him when they had talked about things back home. Most recently they had met up whilst on a search party two nights previously and had had a good chat. This was the last time he had seen him alive. George was given a soldier’s funeral attended by the company C/O. His grave was just a few hundred yards behind the front at Gordon House. His body was re-interred in February 1919 at Perth Cemetery (China Wall). He was 20 years old. A Memorial Service was held at Holy Trinity Church where he is also listed on the war memorials; the service was presided by the vicar Rev H Eaton Thomas, attended by George’s family, friends and members of his guild (not known which ‘guild’).

The letter writer – Lance Corporal Harry William – would also become a casualty, as would another signatory Private 10763 Bertie Annum from Knockin. Other signatures on the letter were Private D Wynn (see below), Sergeant J Jones, 2 Signal Terrace, Lance Corporal GH Clare, 10 King Street and Private A Davies, Beatrice Street.

Private 17385 George Wynn, 5 Bn KSLI,(CWGC), he is not on the Gates but is on Selattyn War Memorial. His brother was Lance Corporal 230469 Ernest Wynn, 10 Bn KSLI – their sister, Mary married – Sapper 94160 Thomas A Markey, 137 Army Troops Coy Royal Engineers

Acknowledgements.

References and Sources

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