Name
George Charles Prior
1892
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/10/1918
26
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
9665
Bedfordshire Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HIGHLAND CEMETERY, LE CATEAU
II. A. 16.
France
Headstone Inscription
PEACE AT LAST DEAR ONE
UK & Other Memorials
Bishop's Stortford Town Memorial, All Saints' Church Memorial(s), Hockerill
Pre War
George Charles Prior was born in 1892 in Stratford, Essex [West Ham] to Charles Prior, labourer and Florence (nee Cambers). George’s father had been born in Bishops Stortford. On the 1901 Census the family of parents, Florence (born 1891), George, Mabel (born 1894), and Hilda (born 1899) were living at 52 Marcus Street, West Ham, Essex.
His parents with Hilda and Frank Gilbert (born 1910) had moved to Bishop's Stortford by the 1911 Census and were living at 88 Dunmow Road, But George, aged 19, had enlisted in the Army as Private 9665 in the Bedfordshire Regiment, and was registered on the 1911 Census as residing at Maida Barracks, in Aldershot with 1st Battalion. His Service Number indicates that he enlisted some time in 1910.
Wartime Service
No Service Record could be found for George. At some time he was transferred from the 1st Battalion to 2nd Battalion on the 2nd ’s return from South Africa on 19 Sep 1914 and went to France on 6 Oct 1914 with 2nd. In 1914 the Battalion were at 1st Ypres: in 1915 Neuve Chapelle, Festubert, Givenchy and Loos: in 1916 Battles of the Somme.
1917 the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, 1st Scarpe (Arras), Pilkem (Passchendaele): 1918 the German Spring Offensive (St Quentin and Rosieres, moved to Ypres Sector for action at Kemmel and Scherpenberg: back to the Somme Sector for the Battles of Bapaume, Epehy, St Quentin. It was during the Final Advance in Picardy during the Battle of the Selle that George was killed in the attack of 23 Oct 1918 where all the objectives were gained but costing casualties of 30 Killed in Action, 122 Wounded, 8 Missing.
Additional Information
His father Charles received his War Gratuity of £24 10s and arrears of £10 3s 9d. N.B. Some records mis-transcribe the surname Prior as Prion. His mother received a pension of 5 shillings a week from 13 May 1919.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer, Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild
