Name
George Ivory
27 January 1897
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
01/11/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
36364
Royal Berkshire Regiment
6th Bn
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 11 D
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
St John the Evangelist Church Memorial, Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial, Markyate Village Memorial, St John The Baptist Church Memorial, Markyate, Not listed on the Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
George Ivory was born in Queensland, Australia on 27 January 1897, the son of George and Lucy Ivory.
On the 1891 Census his parents were living in Great Gaddesden, Herts with his widowed grandfather Robert Ivory and his father was working as a Bricklayer's Labourer. His parents then emigrated to Australia on 23 August 1895 with his brothers Robert and James, then aged 4 and 1. His father gave his occupation as hairdresser. George was born in 1897 in Queensland and his sister Lucy in 1898, but sadly his mother died in 1899 and is buried at Charleville, Queensland. (N.B. his sister Lucy probably died too).
His father had returned to England and by 1911 was living at 62 High Street, Markyate, Dunstable and was working as a hairdresser.
On the 1911 Census George Ivory was a boarder at the home of Joseph and Isabella Bishop at 42 Puller Road, Boxmoor, Herts and working as a Telegraph Messenger. His older brother James was also boarding there and working as a butcher. His other brother Robert was boarding in Luton and working at the Engineering Motor Works.
His father married Lilla Neal in 1919 and they lived at 62 High Street, Markyate, near Dunstable. She is listed as George's stepmother on pension documents.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Hertford and initially served with the Hertfordshire Regiment (reg, no. 5511/5811), later transferring to the 6th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment.
He would have been sent to France sometime in 1916 and was missing believed killed in action on or since 1 November 1916, during the Battle of the Somme, age 19, when the Battalion were in position near Albert and Warloy. He has no known grave but his name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.
Additional Information
His father received a war gratuity of £4 10s and pay owing of £4 5s 7d. He also received a pension of 5 shillings a week.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer, Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild, Anne & Gordon Mead, hemelatwar.org., dacorumheritage.org.uk