Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Helles Memorial | ||
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.125 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 8A GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
Second son of Robert Edgcombe and Anne Hellyer of Farlington House, Havant.His two brothers were also at Winchester: Francis Edgcombe Hellyer (E,1902-1905) and Tom Edgcombe Hellyer (K,1912-1917), the latter died of a fever in India in September 1932. His mother donated the five flower vases designed by Reginald Gleadowe, the College's art master, in Tom's memory for use on the altar in Chapel. The Wykehamist of July 31st 1933 also records: "The School is greatly indebted to Mrs. Hellyer, mother of Capt. T. E. Hellyer, RFA (K, 1912-17), who died on September 8th, 1932, for the gift of six beautifully bound Service books for use in the Sanctuary of Chapel. W. W. Gooddy (‘A’) has designed and illuminated the lettering of the inscriptions in these volumes."
Captain Hellyer married early in 1915 Miss Freda Rokeby Price.
Education & Career :
George Hellyer entered Kingsgate House at Winchester College from Wayneflete School and on leaving Winchester in 1909 went up to Christ Church, Oxford, where he won distinction as an oarsman; he was captain of the College Boat Club, rowed in the VIII which won the Visitors' Plate at Henley in 1912 and also in the University Trials in 1912 and 1913.
Undergraduate of Christ Church College, Oxford University (1912).
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 10/Hampshire Regiment |
10th (Service) Battalion Formed at Winchester in August 1914 as part of K1 and moved to Dublin, attached as Army Troops to 10th (Irish) Division. Moved to Mullingar in September. March 1915 : moved to the Curragh and transferred to 29th Brigade in same Division. Moved to Basingstoke in May 1915. Sailed from Liverpool on 7 July 1915 and going via Mudros landed at Gallipoli 6 August 1915. 6 October 1915 : landed at Salonika. 2 November 1916 : transferred to 82nd Brigade in 27th Division. |
| Action : Gallipoli |
The Gallipoli Campaign was fought on the Gallipoli peninsula 25th April 1915 to 9th January 1916. in a failed attempt to defeat Turkey by seizing the Dardanelles and capturing Istanbul. Ill-conceived and planned, the initial effort by the Royal Navy failed to force passage through the Dardanelles by sea power alone. It was then realised that a land force was needed to support the project by suppressing the Turkish mobile artillery batteries. By the time all was ready the Turks were well aware and well prepared. Despite amazing heroics on the day of the landings only minor beachheads were achieved and over the succeeding 8 months little progress was made. Eventually the beachheads were evacuated in a series of successful ruses.
Despite Gallipoli rightly becoming a national source of pride to Australians and New Zealanders, far more British casualties were sustained, and these days the substantial French contribution is almost forgotten.
Three Wykehamists were serving with the Battalion by the time it reached Gallipoli: Walter Storey Cowland (D1901-1907, Staff 1919-1942), Hellyer, and Lieutenant George Leonard Cheesman (Coll.1897-1903), killed in action 10th August 1915 (see individual entry). The war diary of Captain F M Hicks (Staff 1909-1946) and a Captain in the Hampshire Regiment at Gallipoli with Hellyer, records in detail the vicious fighting at Chunuk Bair, above Anzac Cove when allied forces comprising New Zealand and Australian troops, together with several British regiments including the Hampshires, succeeded in capturing the high ground from the Turks who were using it as an artillery position. Captain Hick's diary records the prominent role Hellyer played in the success of this action, although it was recaptured by the Turks a few days later. The 10th Hampshires were then detailed to take part in what was to be the last major assault at Gallipoli, the disastrous Battle of Hill 60 during which Hellyer was mortally wounded on August 22nd 1915, while rallying his company for a final advance over a ridge swept by artillery and machine-gun fire. He died at sea the same evening, presumably having been evacuated from the battle area for hospital treatment, and was buried at sea.
Detail :
SEE SKETCH MAP - INDIVIDUALS comments made in the battalion history of the 10th and 12th Hampshire Regiment by Major LC Morley who arrived at ANZAC on 10th August 1915 with Capt Hudson and 2/Lt Calderwood and 145 men for the 10th Hampshires who were part of the 10th Div. At 6pm (10/8/1915), the Battalion, all that was ever found, was collected behind Brigade HQ and numbered with reinforcements about 280, but owing to the lack of cover, casualties were occuring continuously The Battalion was reorganised as follows: CO Major Morley QM & Adjudant - Lt. Saunders A Coy - Lt Hellyer (KIA 21/8) B Coy - Sergt Mears C Coy - Lt Hudson D Coy - 2/Lt Calderwood (KIA 21/8) Writing on 20/8/1915 Major Morley records Three days previously the remnant of the Royal Irish Rifles had been sent to us. It consisted of 1 Sergeant and 35 men; this was all that was left of that fine Battalion. It should be remembered that the 10th Hampshires and 6th R.I.Rifles had only landed at Gallipoli on 6th August. Major Morley's final entry records the outcome of their engagement on 21 August when the Battalion suffered the lost of 2 of 5 officers killed and 100 casualities of its remaining 180 men. DoW
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Apollo University No. 357 E.C. | Oxfordshire |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
13th February 1912 | 12th March 1912 | 7th May 1912 |
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley