Name
George Curl
18 November 1896
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
01/07/1918
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
4/6982
Bedfordshire Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BOUZINCOURT RIDGE CEMETERY, ALBERT
II. S. 8.
France
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Northchurch Village Memorial, St Mary’s Church Window, Northchurch, Not on the Berkhamsted memorials
Pre War
George was born on 18 November 1896 in Northchurch, the second son of George Curl, a cressman, and Lizzie (nee Davis) and was baptised on 7 February 1897. He was one of seven children.
On the 1901 Census the family were living in Bell Lane, Northchurch where his father was working as a general labourer. By 1911 they had moved to Orchard End, Northchurch, at which time George's occupation was shown as farm labourer.
Wartime Service
George enlisted in Berkhamsted and joined the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. He was sent to France on 30 September 1915 and was one of a draft of 250 men who joined the battalion in the field near Cuinchy on 4 October.
He would have fought in the Battles of the Somme and Le Transloy in 1916, Battles of Arras, Messines Ridge and Battle of Ypres in 1917 and Battles of St Quentin and the Lys in April 1918.
At some point he was promoted to Lance Corporal.
On 30 June 1918 the Battalion took part in active operations north west of Albert. By noon the following day (1 July) they had sustained 55 casualties and George was one of the eight who had been killed. He is buried in Bouzincourt Ridge Cemetery, Albert, France.
Additional Information
His father received a war gratuity of £18 10s and pay owing of £13 8s 9d. His mother received a pension of five shillings a week.
His older brother Alfred served with Royal Garrison Artillery and died on 29 December 1917.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper, Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.dacorumheritage.org.uk/first-world-war-database, www.bedfordregiment.org.uk
