Name
George William Arthur Hille
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
London Regiment
3rd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Biography
George Hille was born in the Autumn of 1898 at Hackney. In the 1901 Census he was recorded as one of six children (two sons and four children) born to George (senior) and Alice Hille. George (senior) had been born in Germany and was employed as a Restaurant Manager. In 1901 the family lived at 3 Carisbrooke Road, Walthamstow.
At the time of the 1911 Census at least three of the children of the Hille family were listed as inmates of Orphanages, Oscar and Louise were inmates at The Royal Orphanage, Penn Road, Wolverhampton, whilst Doris was an inmate of Sir Josiah Mason’s Orphanage at Erdington, Birmingham. It is not known why the children were sent to the Orphanages, or whether George was sent to a similar establishment. Records of the father, mother or any of the other children were not traced for the 1911 Census. However George was listed living at 11 Vine Street, Oxford Street, London when he enlisted in August 1914.
He was listed in the Abbots Langley Parish Magazine Roll of Honour from June 1915, where he was recorded serving with the 13th Battalion (Princess Louise’s Kensington) London Regiment. George’s Pension Record showed that he enlisted on 28th August 1914 and received a medical examination at Kensington on the same day. He was posted to the Army Reserve and was transferred to the 1st Battalion of the London Regiment on 8th February 1915 before moving to France with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on 10th February. He remained in France until 2nd May 1915, before returning to England. It was confirmed later in the Hertfordshire Advertiser of 15th April 1916 that he had been wounded. George remained in England and on 20th May 1915 was transferred to the 3rd Battalion of the London Regiment, where he remained until early 1916. On 29th March 1916 George was discharged to the Territorial Force being “No longer fit physically for War Service”, however being of “good character”.
The Abbots Langley Parish Magazine reported in April 1916 that George had been wounded, and had been discharged form service as he was disabled. The Hertfordshire Advertiser reported this too on 15th April 1916. According to his Pension Record George was awarded a Silver Badge on 21st October 1916 – to be worn to indicate that he was not eligible for active service.
However the Abbots Langley Parish Record continued to record George’s Service, and in April 1917 noted that he was serving with the London Scottish Regiment. It is not known how and when George was able to re-enlist, however in December 1917 the Parish Magazine noted that he had been discharged disabled for the second time.
It is not known how George (junior) became to be associated with the area of Abbots Langley. Maybe he became an inmate of the Leavesden Asylum or School at the time when his brothers and sisters were despatched to orphanages. However George Hille was recorded in the Abbots Langley Parish Roll of Honour throughout the War.
George Hille survived the War.
Additional Information
Formerly, 13th Battalion (Princess Louise’s Kensington), 1st Bn. London Regiment & London Scottish Regiment. Rank unknown. Discharged Disabled.
Acknowledgments
Roger Yapp - www.backtothefront.org
