Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Grave: | Verberie French National Cemetery | Verberie | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.128 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 35D GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | Military Medal | ||
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) |
| Action : The Battle of Mons and subsidiary actions |
23 - 24 August 1914. The BEF had its first encounter with the German Army at Mons. Using the defensive barrier of the Mons Conde Canal the BEF was able to delay the German advance partly through the accuracy and speed of its rifle fire, and partly through the heroism of individuals. The first VC's of the war were awarded at Mons (M.Dease & S. Godley). The Belgians pulled the line left and the French to the right and, eventually, the position at Mons became untenable and the BEF slipped away to start its long retreat to the River Marne, to the East of Paris.
Detail :
George's story currently offers a mystery. The Masonic record shows that he was a Sergeant of the Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards) in 1913 and that he was lost at Mons in 1914. The closest match to this name is for 5557 Sergeant G.D. Lewis of the 2nd Dragoon Guards who was lost on the 1st September, 1914 and who is buried at the Verberie Cemetery, France. (The handwritten note against the war graves record show G.D. is George David.) Further work is required to link the information together to prove this is one and the same man.
The Queen's Bays, which had been was stationed at Aldershot at the start of the war, landed in France as part of the 1st Cavalry Brigade in the 1st Cavalry Division, part of the Expeditionary Force, in August 1914 for service on the Western Front. The regiment took part in the Great Retreat in August 1914.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Military Jubilee No. 2195 E.C. | East Kent |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
24th December 1913 | - | - |
Listed as a Sergeant of the Queen's Bays and resident at Aldershot at the time of his initiation in 1913 into Military Lodge No. 2159. The contribution record shows that he was "Killed at Mons - Aug 1914."
He is recorded with his full name and with the rank of Sergeant on the 1921 Roll of Honour. Military Lodge No. 2159 confirm date of death in their own records when, at their meeting of the 25th November, 1914, they passed a vote of sympathy and condolence to be expressed to his family and that of W. Saunders, following their deaths with the British Expeditionary Force.
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