Name
George Henry Wallace
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
20/05/1917
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Able Seaman
J/18272
Royal Navy
H.M.S. "Paxton."
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL
Panel 25.
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Thundridge War Memorial
Pre War
Born 13th December 1896, in Thundridge, Herts. Son of George and Ruth Wallace. Baptised 31st January 1897, in Thundridge, Herts.
The 1901 census shows him aged 4 years living in Back Street, Wadesmill, Herts, with his family - his father was a farm servant. In the 1911 census shows him aged 14 years, still living in Back Street, Wadesmill, Herts, with his family. His father now recorded as a horse keeper on a farm. George was still at school. In June 1912 aged 15 years he joined the Royal Navy as a boy sailor. He was sent to the training ship HMS Ganges.
On completion of his training in February 1913, he joined the Cruiser HMS Hawke as a boy sailor serving with her from February 1913 until May 1913. He then served aboard the Battleship HMS Venerable as a boy sailor from May 1913 until August 1913.
Wartime Service
He joined the Battleship HMS Zealandia before 1914 and ended up doing three tours of duty on her; he left HMS Zealandia in October 1916. While aboard he obtained the rank of Ordinary Seaman and then Able Seaman. He then spent 5-month training on HMS Victory I, Portsmouth, and HMS Excellent, Portsmouth, the Royal Navy’s shore based Gunnery Training School, before being posted to the Special Services Ship HMS Paxton (Q25) on the 5th March 1917.
HMS Paxton was originally a Merchant Cargo Vessel the SS Lady Patricia before being requisitioned by the Royal Navy and converted into a Special Services Ship or Q Ship. Q Ships were used as decoy ships to try and trap German U-boats that was targeting merchant shipping. HMS Paxton was on patrol in the North Atlantic about 100 miles west of the Farstnet Rock when she was torpedoed and sunk by the German U-boat, U-46, on the evening of the 20th May 1917. George was killed in the attack and his body was never recovered. 31 crew members were lost in the action.
A Special Services Ship is a heavily armed merchant ship. The armaments are disguised so the ship looks like an ordinary merchant ship from a distance, the idea is to lure the U-boat into surfacing and attacking what it thinks is a merchant ship. The decoy structures are then lowered and it opens fire with its concealed guns.
The Special Services Ships got their name Q Ship, because they were based at the Port of Queenstown, in Ireland.
George was killed in the action his body was never recovered. He is Commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial 1917.
Acknowledgments
Maurice Charge, Stuart Osborne
