Name
George William Catlin
April 1895
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
15/07/1916
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
G/284
The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
1st. Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 5 D and 6 D
France
Headstone Inscription
No known grave
UK & Other Memorials
Redbourn War Memorial, St Mary's Church Memorial, Redbourn
Pre War
Born in 1895 in Lambeth, London son of George and Mary Ann (Faulder) Catlin of 60 Thorne Rd, Lambeth, London. Both George's parents were born in and had lived in Church End, Redbourn, Herts. George senior was employed as a fireman at the Redbourn gasworks, and the family later moved to Lambeth, London.
The 1911
Census shows George, aged 16, employed as a farrier's boy.
Wartime Service
George Catlin enlisted at Clifton Street, London, as Private G/284 in the Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment. The amount of his war gratuity indicates this was in August 1914. He entered France on 1 Jun 1915, so was entitled to the 1914-15 Star
On 15th July 1916, in one of the phases of the Battle of the Somme, 1st Battalion, The Queen's were ordered to attack the German Switch Line, a trench running west from the heavily defended strong point of High Wood near the village of Longueval. Even before the attack started, the Queen's came under heavy fire from the wood, and had very little artillery fire to support them. The first wave moved forward at 8.55 and came under heavy attack. The second wave was also badly hit. The troops pushed up to 200 yards from the enemy wire, but with British artillery shells falling short, some within their own lines,and no reinforcements coming up, the decision was made to withdraw. The Germans continued shelling their positions throughout the afternoon and evening.
The Queen's Regiment's casualties that day were 5 officers killed and 11 wounded. Other ranks 28 killed 52 missing 207 wounded.
George Catlin was killed at some time during the day. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.
Additional Information
Two of Mary Catlin's brothers, George's uncles, both born in Redbourn, also lost their lives in WW1. Thomas Faulder, a driver with the Royal Field Artillery died in Ripon Military Hospital in 1918. George Henry Faulder, a private in the East Surrey Regiment was killed in action at Morval on 25th September 1916, a few miles from High Wood. Like his nephew, he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.
Acknowledgments
Gareth Hughes
Gareth Hughes, Malcolm Lennox
