Name
George Gurney
1874
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
15/07/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
4/7343
Bedfordshire Regiment
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 2 C
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Redbourn Roll of Honour and War Memorial, Not on the Leverstock Green memorials
Pre War
George Gurney was born in 1874 in Leverstock Green, nr Hemel Hempstead, Herts, the son of George and Sarah Gurney. He was baptised at St Mary's Church, Hemel Hempstead on Good Friday in 1875. The family were living at Buncefield, near Hemel Hempstead at the time of his birth, where his father was a Gamekeeper.
On the 1881 Census the family were living at Leverstock Green where his father was listed as a Gamekeeper unemployed. By the 1891 Census he was living as a lodger at Fosters Farm, Redbourn, Herts the home of George and Jessie Farr, and working as a Farm Servant.
He enlisted into the Militia with the 4th Bedfordshire Regiment in March 1896 and in January 1900 was sent to South Africa where he served in the Second Boer War, returning home in April 1902. He received the South Africa Medal with clasps for Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal. He was then discharged, having completed his term and returned to Redbourn where he found employment in the brickfields.
He married Kate Batchelor in Great Gaddesden, Herts on 22 August 1903. She had an illegitimate child Walter born in November 1902, but their first child Kate was born in 1903, baptised on 16 December 1903 but died soon after, being buried on 21 December 1903 in Great Gaddesden churchyard. They later had Albert (1904), Percy (1908), Cecilia (1910) and Florence (1914).
He gave his place of residence on enlistment as Redbourn, Herts and his widow gave her address as West Common, Redbourn, Herts on pension records.
Wartime Service
Having been a time served soldier he enlisted at St Albans in October 1914 and rejoined the Bedfordshire Regiment. He was posted to the 6th (Service) Battalion and sent to Aldershot for training, later moving to Salisbury Plain. He served in France from 24 Aug 1915.
He initially saw action in the trenches but his first major action was in the Battle of Bazentin Ridge, part of the Somme Offensive, in mid July 1916. They were ordered to attack and capture Pozieres, but were held up by intense German machine gun fire and suffered many casualties. George was killed in action during the attack on 15 July 1916. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France. He is one of 42 men from the 6th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment named on the memorial who died on the same day.
Additional Information
His widow received a war gratuity of £7 10s and pay owing of £3 14s 9d. She was initially granted a pension of £1 10s 3d for herself and her five children. However, a note on the pensions card shows a note dated 15 August 1918 that the Special Grants Committee felt that her conduct was unworthy and her widow's pension was suspended. They continued payment to her for her 5 children while they remained in her care but a pension was "not issuable for illegitimate child born 26.5.18" [William H Gurney].
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Gareth Hughes, Malcolm Lennox, www.hemelheroes.com
