George's Story.
Born 19 December 1892 at Bollington, Cheshire, son of Joseph and Eliza (Lizzie) (nee Press), Duffield, of, 19, Foundry Street, Bollington. This was family of seven children, Rachael, Thomas, George, Polly, Jane Ann, Gladys and Edwin. Prior to his enlistment George was employed as a cotton operative, doubler at the Clarence Mill, Bollington. He was also an active member of St Peter’s, Macclesfield Young Men’s Bible Class. His home address was 8, Waters Green, Macclesfield.
George attested at Macclesfield, 19/11/1915. His army medical record shows him to have been a man of five feet four inches tall weighed 133lbs with a chest measurement of 36 inches. He embarked with the B.E.F. 04/11/1916 for the Western Front. The Cheshire’s was in the 25th Division, 7th Infantry Brigade, and according to the Battalion war diary for October 1916; they were in camp near BOUZINCOURT, in a holding trench right of STUFF REDOUBT. An army comrade writing home reports that George, with others, had just finished a spell of duty in the trenches, and were waiting in a communication trench to be relieved, when a “whizz bang” shell dropped among the party of men. George was one those killed, Sunday, 19/11/1916, he had been at the front just two weeks, he was aged 25 years.
Cheshire County Memorial Project would like to thank H.A.G Carlisle for this information on George.