Name
George Henry Baldwin
1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
01/07/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
9929
Devonshire Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 1 C.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial, St John the Evangelist Church Memorial, Boxmoor
Pre War
George Henry Baldwin was born on 9 October 1894 in Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead, Herts the eldest son of George and Sarah Baldwin and one of four children.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at Moor Cottages, Boxmoor where his father was a Blacksmith's Labourer. He was educated at Boxmoor Village School from 1901 and left on 4 October 1907 to start work in the office of Brentnall & Cleland, coal merchant at St John's Road, Boxmoor.
His father died in 1907, aged 36, leaving his mother with four children. She remarried to Ernest Cox in 1909 and on the 1911 Census the family were living at 11 St John's Road, Boxmoor, Herts, at which time George was working as a tooth brush handle fashioner at G B Kent & Sons.
Wartime Service
His regimental number of 9929 suggests he was already a serving soldier at the outbreak of war, and would have enlisted before March 1914, although other sources suggest he enlisted at Hertford within a week of the declaration of war. (N.B. his name is not on the Kent's Memorial which suggests he was not working there at the outbreak of war).
He served with the 2nd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment in France from 2 December 1914, joining the 2nd Battalion near Estaires on 17 December. He saw action in 1915 at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, Battle of Aubers Ridge and the action of Bois Grenier.
On 1 July 1916 there was a planned attack on Ovillers. The 2nd Btn Devonshire Regiment was assembled with the 2nd Btn Lincolnshire Regiment and 2nd Btn Berkshire Regiment. Following a preliminary artillery bombardment, at 7.15 am the enemy responded by opening rifle and machine gun fire on the line which was initially drawn by the 2nd Devonshires as they attempted to line up in front of their parapet. The fire was such that it prevented any exit from the trenches or any men reaching the enemy lines.
George was killed in action on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France. He was one of 173 men from the 2nd Btn who died that day.
Additional Information
His stepfather received a war gratuity of £10 10s and his mother received his pay owing of £11 1s 9d.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.dacorumheritage,org.uk, www.hemelatwar.org., www.hemeheroes.com, rugbyremembers.wordpress.com
