Name
George Plum
1885
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
16/11/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
18303
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
NA
UK & Other Memorials
Letchworth Town Memorial, Willian War Memorial, Not on the Datchworth memorials
Pre War
George Henry Plum was born in 1895 (baptised 26 Mar 1886) in Datchworth to Walter J Plum, and Emma (nee Woods).
On the 1891 Census the family of parents, Rose (born 1878), Henry W (born 1879, agricultural labour), Alfred (born 1881), Emily (born 1884), Alice (born 1885), George, Annie (born 1890) and Ernest (born 1889) together with James Plum (Walter’s father, born 1868) were living at Mossbury Cottages, Pin Green, Stevenage.
On the 1901 Census the family of parents, Alfred (agricultural labourer), George (agricultural labourer), Ernest (errand boy, born 1889), Annie (born 1891), Frederick (born 1886) and Albert J (born 1896) were living at Church Cottages, Stevenage.
George married Annie Chalkley in spring 1906 in Hitchin District.
On the 1911 Census George (was a farm horse keeper) and Annie were living at Letchworth Lane, Willian, Herts., with their children Lilian Rose (born 30 Nov 1906), Ernest Francis (born 1 Oct 1908), and Violet May(born 27 Jan 1911). There would be two more offspring – Annie May (born 4 May 1913) and George (born 3 Mar 1917). George’s parents (now a farm foreman) and family of Ernest (coachman), Fredrick & Albert (farm labourers) were living at Cottage, Letchworth, Hall, Herts.
The Soldiers Died In The Great War database (SDITGW) records George as born and living in Willian when he enlisted in Bedford, However most information siggest he was born in Datchworth.
Wartime Service
No Service Record was found for George, he enlisted in 1914 as Private 18303 in the Bedfordshire Regiment. After his training he was posted to 6th (Service) Battalion and went with them to France on 31 Jul 1915.
The Battalion were part of 112 Brigade, 37 Division. Their first Major engagement was one of the later Battles of the Somme in 1916 at the Battle of Ancre 13-18 Nov). The main objectives to capture the ground around Serre and Beaumont-Hamel that had been originally intended aims of 1st Jul. George was reported as being killed action and also dying of wounds on 16 Nov 1916 during this last action. His remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £9 and arrears of £3 6s 1d was paid to his widow.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Dan Hill, Jonty Wild
