Name
George William Betts Hampton
1885
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
11/03/1917
31
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lieutenant
2139
Royal Flying Corps
2nd Sqdn. 1st Wing
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
VERMELLES BRITISH CEMETERY
V. A .26
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Welwyn Garden City memorials
Pre War
George William Betts Hampton was born in 1885 in Swindon, Wiltshire, the son of William Hampton and Alice Rebecca Betts and was one of three children. He was baptised on 27 February 1886 at St Marks, Swindon. His mother died in 1899, aged 49 and is buried in Queens Road Cemetery, Walthamstow. His father remarried on 24 March 1900 to Elizabeth Phyllis Hall at St Mark, Dalston, Hackney and on the 1901 Census living George was living with his father, stepmother and siblings Gladstone and Alice at 14 Stainforth Road, Walthamstow and working as Stockbrokers Clerk. His father died in 1908, aged 60.
George was registered with the United Grand Lodge of England Freemasons on 9 April 1908 with the Royal Athelstan Lodge and also listed on the register of Freemasons of Bulawayo (present day Zimbabwe) from 7 April 1909.
He was named on the passenger list of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Ship Alcala coming from Rio de Janeiro and arrived in Southampton on 20 September 1913. He gave his occupation as Secretary.
He married Violet Ellen Blake on 21 December 1913 at St Mary the Virgin, Walthamstow, Essex. and lived at 7 St Mary's Road, Walthamstow. She later lived in Welwyn Garden City, Herts.
Wartime Service
At the outbreak of war he volunteered and served as Private 2139 in the 1/4 Cameron Highlanders, crossing to France with them on 15 February 1915.
He was selected for officer training and was commissioned into the 3/5 Suffolk Regiment but became bored with life in a training/feeder battalion and successfully applied to the Royal Flying Corps, and was soon in France as an observer with 2 Squadron.
He was killed in action on 11 March 1917, aged 31, whilst flying with George Chandos Hoskins. They were sent down in flames in a spinning nosedive in the Loos Salient by Lt Schaeffer. They are both buried in Vermelles British Cemetery, France.
Additional Information
Probate (with will) granted on 11 May 1917 to Violet Ellen Hampton widow, 7 St Marys Road, Walthamstow with effects of £896 13s. She also received pay owing in separate payments of £35 12s 9d & £96 1s 10d.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Brenda Palmer, www.masonicgreatwarproject.org.uk
