Name
George Frank Gurney
1897
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
29/04/1917
20
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
31982
Bedfordshire Regiment
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
SUNKEN ROAD CEMETERY, FAMPOUX
I. E. 22.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Memorial Plaque, St Lawrence Church, Bovingdon, Memorial Plaque, Memorial Hall, Bovingdon, John Dickinson & Co Memorial, Apsley Mills, Apsley, Not on the Tring memorials
Pre War
George Frank Gurney (known as Frank) was born in 1897 in Buckland, Tring, Buckinghamshire, the son of Thomas and Susan Gurney, and one of nine children.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at Church Row, Buckland, Buckinghamshire where his father was working as a Stockman on a farm.
They moved to Bovingdon before George's sister Meryle was born in 1903 and on the 1911 Census they were living in Lane Farm Cottages, Bovingdon and later lived at Church Street, Bovingdon.
Wartime Service
Frank enlisted at Bedford and joined the 6th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment.
He was killed in action at the Battle of Arleux (part of the Battle of Arras) on 29 April 1917, aged 20. The Battalion assembled for attack on Greenland Hill at dawn on the 28th. The objective was almost achieved and they dug in where could but were caught in enfilade fire from the chemical works and suffered heavy casualties. Frank was one of 40 soldiers from the 6th Battalion who died on 28 or 29 April. He is buried in Sunken Road Cemetery, Fampoux.
Additional Information
His father received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £5 13s 9d. A pension application was refused,
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer, Neil Cooper
Malcolm Lennox, Dick West, www.bedfordregiment.org.uk
