George Frederick Mort

[Uncle George]

“Died Dec 21st 1918, aged 45. A pioneer of aeroplane engines. He sacrificed his life for his duty”. 
 

This gravestone is to be found at Hampstead Cemetery. My research continues. Any help would be most welcome.

[Knotty]

UG

Have you seen these patents registered in the USA, by his son and accredited to GF Mort, they are for use in precision drilling into engine parts.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US1397771

 

This is a small obituary http://communityatwar.org.uk/soldiers/george-frederick-mort/

 

Hope they are of use

[PaulC78]

Had a quick look at the newspapers, he gets a few mentions but nothing substantial. A court case in 1907, a patent application in 1908, fined for speeding in 1914, then his death in 1918.

 

Ealing Gazette and West Middlesex Observer 18 July 1908

 

Ealing Gazette and West Middlesex Observer 28 December 1918

[Uncle George]

Thank you both very much. Most helpful.

[headgardener]

Looks like he was a civilian engaged in aircraft engine manufacture for the WO. I can't find any indication of the exact cause of death, but suspect that the words "he sacrificed his life in doing his duty" isn't a literal reference to his cause of death. Aldenham College register or an obit in The Times may give you more info. 

 

Edited 8 August , 2020 by headgardener

[Knotty]

24 minutes ago, headgardener said:

"he sacrificed his life in doing his duty"

I believe that this refers to his being killed in a plane crash while testing.

[headgardener]

3 minutes ago, Knotty said:

I believe that this refers to his being killed in a plane crash while testing.

 

You may be absolutely correct. It's just that none of the references that I can find appear to indicate a flying accident. The section I posted was from Flight magazine, and they usually make reference to accidents (see the obit directly above Mort's - Evelyn Wilson French "killed while flying near Hounslow" while Mort is simply described as having "Died on December 21st"). I think also that there is some ambiguity in the gravestone inscription, but I acknowledge that this doesn't mean that it wasn't a flying accident. More research required! 

[Uncle George]

Thanks Knotty and HG. I see there’s an obituary from ‘The Engineer’ available behind a paywall in ‘Grace’s Guide’. I’ll see if it’s worthwhile:

 

https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/George_Frederick_Mort

https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/The_Engineer_1919/01/03

[headgardener]

Btw, I just noticed that I chopped off the very last part of the obit from Flight. The sentence "For several years he was well known on the Solent as a yachts -" continues rather intriguingly as follows; ".... man, racing boats of his own design, invariably named Rathe. These were based on a novel theory of ship design." 

I suspect that there's a whole story right there in those last few words! 

I noticed that he was shown as having studied at Glasgow University, but he doesn't show on their Roll of Honour (which extends well into 1920), so that lends a bit more credibility to the theory that his death may not have been war-related despite the apparent inference of the memorial inscription. 

[Uncle George]

‘World War One in Hampstead’ refers to the obituary in ‘The Engineer’ and tells us that he is “said to have died in an aero accident”:

 

http://communityatwar.org.uk/soldiers/george-frederick-mort/

[headgardener]

Just found a reference through JStor, don't know if you can access, but I can't except via Google. There's an obit in the Journal of the Royal Society of Arts, Jan 10th. I've managed to coax out of Google that the obit starts with the statement that he "died at his residence on Ealing Common on December 21st at the age of forty five. He was educated at Bilton Grange...." . So, that would imply that he didn't die in a plane crash. 

Edited 8 August , 2020 by headgardener

[headgardener]

I just saw your reference to that Hampstead website - it simply states that he was "said to have died in an aero accident" and uses the memorial inscription as a reference for that claim. I'm not sure that they've seen the obit in The Engineer, the rest just appears to come from his biog on Graces Guide. You're going to need to see an obit in order to know for sure. 

Edited 8 August , 2020 by headgardener

[PRC]

The 1919 Probate Calendar shows him as having died at Nook, Holford Road, Hampstead, which was not his home address.

 

https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Calendar?surname=Mort&yearOfDeath=1919&page=1#calendar

 

A google search comes up with multiple mentions of the address in connection with various titled personages as well as politicians and artists and their entourage - several letters to Oscar Wilde seemed to have been penned by a woman living at this address during his lifetime. There is just one mention from the late 1920's that it was a residential home - which it might have been or that may simply have been an assumption on the part of the author.

 

The Times has this obituary from the edition dated January 2nd 1919 - which reading between the lines sounds more like he died of overwork & exhaustion in the service of his country rather than a specific accident. However it appears at the bottom of a column and almost reads like there should be a little bit more - as though an over-zealous sub-editor has removed a final paragraph. There is however nothing at the top of the next column or in the column to the right which looks to be a continuation.

 

Source Times Digital Archive, restrictions on reproduction apply.

 

Hope that helps,

Peter

 

[headgardener]

Peter's post seems to cover everything. Just to add that I noticed he studied at UCL so checked the university's War List (May 1918) and Roll of Service (1921) and he isn't listed in either. So looks like his death may have been attributable to the general effects of the war, but he was a civilian throughout and didn't die in a plane crash. 

[Uncle George]

Thanks Peter and thank you again HG. I see on the aviation website rcawsey.co.uk that there is a list of fatal air accidents searchable by date, and I have found no reference to George Mort:

 

http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1919.htm

[PRC]

There is also a test flying website that includes a list of those who died, including civilians, which has no likely incident.

https://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/memorial/index.php

 

Aviation Safety Net also has no likely aircrash candidates on the day or in the week beforehand.

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/

 

I also couldn't see any likely Coroners Inquest in FMP newspapers or The Times Digital Archive which would be expected if it was an accidental death, however caused.

 

Cheers,

Peter

[Uncle George]

Thanks again Peter. So it seems that, as you suggest upstream, this devoted man worked himself into an early grave. A casualty of the war, nevertheless.