George (Frederick) Edwards was born in November 1888 at Middleton, Oswestry. He was the son of Frederick and Elizabeth Edwards. His father was an agricultural labourer. In 1891 there were 6 children – Alice, Arthur, Maggie, Albert, Him and baby Annie. They lived at Weston Cottage, Weston Lane, Oswestry and later at Red House and then The Cottage, both at Middleton. By 1901 his mother had died. George and his brother Arthur were working for Robert Madoc Jones, a farmer at White Hale, Wootton – they worked as wagoners. George is difficult to find in the 1911 Census, he was probably working as a stockman at Tyburn, nr Erdington or at Lee, Ellesmere – given that he enlisted at Birmingham the first is more likely.

He joined the Royal Field Artillery, probably in 1914, and went over to France on 7 July 1915. At this time his unit, 92 Battery RFA, was in the Dardenelles, they arrived in France in March 1916. It is most likely he served with another RFA unit and later moved either transferred or reposted following wounding, to 92 Battery. He was KIA during the build up to the Third Ypres Offensive, most likely a victim of counter battery fire. He is buried at Canada Farm Cemetery near to Elveringhe, Ypres. He is also commemorated on the War Memorial at Holy Trinity Church, Oswestry.

Acknowledgements.

References and Sources

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