Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Ypres Town Cemetery Extension | III. AA. 3. Flanders | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.131 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 27C GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
Son of William Victor Paley and Augusta Harriet PALEY (née NEPEAN) of Freckenham House, Soham, Augusta was the daughter of Canon Nepean, Chaplain-in-Ordinary to her late Majesty Queen Victoria.He married Rose Mildred Bloomfield Paley, of Garroch, Dalry, Kirkcudbrightshire, daughter of the Countess of Leeford and the late Captain Wingfield Linton.
George Paley was born in Great Barton on 27th January 1872.
1881 census... Aged 9, George was at The Dell, Freckenham with his father William V. [40] no occupation given, born Freckenham, his mother [40] born Fulham, and sister Jane C.V. [10] born in London.
1891 census... Aged 19 he was an gentleman cadet R.M.C, at Brook House, Horringer, with his parents and sister Jane. 1901 census... Aged 29 he was a Captain in the Rifle Brigade, staying at the Hotel Cecil in the Strand. His father was at The Dell in Freckenham, his mother and sister were at Brook House, Horringer.
On 5th July 1902 at St George, Hanover Square,London, he married Rose Mildred Bloomfield LINTON
They had one son, who became Maj. Genl. Sir Alexander George Victor Paley K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O., Soldier, born 30 April 1903 in Easthampstead, Berkshire, England Died 10 April 1976 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
1911 census... Aged 39 He was with his wife and son in Canada.
Education & Career :
He went to Eton.
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: Rifle Brigade |
| Action : The Battles of Ypres 1914 (First Ypres) |
19 October - 22 November 1914. Following the failure of the German Schlieffen Plan in August and September 1914, both sides engaged in a series of linked battles as they sought to outflank each other. The climax of these manouvres was at Ypres in November 1914 when the might of the German Army attempted to break the much outnumbered British Expeditionary Force. The political importance of Ypres, being the last town of any size in Belgium that remained in allied hands, established its importance for both sides and ensured a series of battles over four years.
The First Battle of Ypres in 1914 is characterised by a series of linked heroic stands by outnumbered British soldiers in conditions of confusion and weary endurance. The Germans never knew how close they had come to winning - at one point just the clerks and cooks were the last line of defence for the BEF. By the end of the battle the magnificent original BEF, composed of professional regular soldiers, had been all but destroyed and already the Territorial battalions were called into battle. From the end of 1914 a 'Regular' battalion was in terms of its compostion little different to a Teritorial or later Service Battalion. The professional soldiers had all but vanished.
He was wounded on 11th December 1899 at Colenso, South Africa while a Captain of the Rifle Brigade in the Natal Field Force and his Queen's South Africa medal has the Ladysmith clasp.
From February to September, 1902. he was A.D.C. (temporary) to the General Officer Commanding, Woolwich District, in 1903 qualified as an Interpreter in French , and in December, 1904, passed the final examination of the Staff College. From February. 1905, to September.1906, he was Staff Captain and General Staff Officer (3rd Grade) at the headquarters of the Army, and from September, 1908, to February,1909, D.A.Q.M.G. and General Staff Officer (2nd Grade), headquarters : while he was also specially employed there in February and March, 1909.
From October, 1909, to October, 1913, he was Director of Operations and Staff Duties (General Staff Officer, 2nd Grade), Canadian Militia.
On the 5th August, 1914, he was appointed General Staff Officer (2nd Grade), and was serving in that capacity when killed. He was mentioned for his services in Sir John French’s Despatch of the 8th October, 1914.
Detail :
MAJOR GEORGE PALEY GSO2 IST DIVISION STAFF On 31 October 1914, the staff of the 1st and 2nd Divisions were wiped out by shell fire falling on the the chateau at Hooge near Ypres. The Official History Page 324 describes the circumstances; About 1.15pm shortly after a low flying enemy aeroplane has passed over, a shell fell into the chateau grounds some 20-30 yards in front of the coach house. A minute later another burst immediately outside General Monroe's room followed by a third which struck the glass roof of the studio, and a fourth which dropped in the grounds. The second shell fell on the assembled staffs. Major Gen Lomax was severely wounded and died some months later in England. There were killed on the spot Col F W Kerr and Major G Paley of the General Staff of 1st Div. This unfortunate incident could not have happened at a worse moment. The meeting of the senior staff officers happened at the height of the German assaults along the Menin Road at Gheluvelt, and arguably the loss of the senior staff officers disrupted the command structure.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | United No. 1629 E.C. | Unknown |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
16th September 1895 | 16th November 1895 | 14th December 1895 |
Two Freemasons were killed by the shell that landed outside of General Monroe's office - Major George PALEY the GSO2 of 1st Division and Captain Rupert OMMANNEY the GSO3 of 2nd Division.
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