Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Grave: | Tyne Cot Cemetery | XVIII. D. 24. | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.120 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 22C GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
Husband of Mrs. A. P. Gartside (formerly Davidge) of Greetwell Lodge Greetwell Rd. Lincoln.Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 2/5 Lincolnshire Regiment |
2/5th Battalion Formed in Grimsby on 6 February 1915 as a Second Line Battalion. July 1915: attached to 177th Brigade, 59th (2nd North Midland) Division. April 1916 : moved with Division to Ireland and took part in actions against rebellion. January 1917 : returned to England and moved to France next month. 8 May 1918 : reduced to cadre. 29 May 1918 : transferred to 21st Brigade, 30th Division. 28 June 1918 : transferred to 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division. 31 July 1918 : absorbed by 1/5th Battalion. |
| Action : The Battles of Ypres 1917 (Third Ypres, or Passchendaele) |
31 July - 10 November 1917. By the summer of 1917 the British Army was able for the first time to fight on its chosen ground on its terms. Having secured the southern ridges of Ypres at Messines in June, the main attack started on 31st July 1917 accompanied by what seemed like incessant heavy rain, which coupled with the artillery barrages conspired to turn much of the battlefield into a bog. Initial failure prompted changes in the high command and a strategy evolved to take the ring of ridges running across the Ypres salient in a series of 'bite and hold' operations, finally culminating in the capture of the most easterly ridge on which sat the infamous village of Passchendaele. The Official History carries the footnote ?The clerk power to investigate the exact losses was not available? but estimates of British casualties range from the official figure of 244,000 to almost 400,000. Within five months the Germans pushed the British back to the starting line, which was where they had been since May 1915.
Detail :
A month after George was reported missing, an article was published in the Lincolnshire Echo 25th October 1917 "An official telegram was received this morning by Mrs. Davidge, of 181, Carholme-road, Lincoln, that her husband, Lance-Corporal Davidge, C Company 26424, Lincolnshire Regiment, has been missing since the 26th September. Prior to enlistment Lance-Corpl. Davidge was a well-known local representative of a leading firm of London grocers. Any information concerning him will be gratefully received by Mrs. Davidge at the above address."
Soldiers Died in the Great War suggests, perhaps, that later on a body is identified and taken to be buried at Tyne Cot Cemetery, dating his death as 26th September.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Saint Hugh No. 1386 E.C. | Lincolnshire |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
15th December 1915 | 23rd February 1916 | 26th April 1916 |
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