Royal Engineers Pioneer Victor George

[rogerpgeorge]

Looking to research my Great Uncle Victor Alfred George. A Pioneer with Royal Engineers No.2 Special Company, service number 84511. Killed in action November 1917 and awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre. What did he do as a Pioneer? What did he do to be awarded the Croix e Guerre? Why was he in the Royal Engineers, his brothers were supposed to sign up to the Suffolk Regiment, although his youngest brother was a conscientious objector. Victor had only been a nurseryman, working, I believe, on his brother's plant nursery.

Where do I start?

Thanks

Roger George

[Michelle Young]

Welcome to the forum.

A good place to start is have a read of this

http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/how-to-research-a-soldier/

[Terry_Reeves]

1 hour ago, rogerpgeorge said:

Looking to research my Great Uncle Victor Alfred George. A Pioneer with Royal Engineers No.2 Special Company, service number 84511. Killed in action November 1917 and awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre. What did he do as a Pioneer? What did he do to be awarded the Croix e Guerre? Why was he in the Royal Engineers, his brothers were supposed to sign up to the Suffolk Regiment, although his youngest brother was a conscientious objector. Victor had only been a nurseryman, working, I believe, on his brother's plant nursery.

Where do I start?

Thanks

Roger George

Roger

A Pioneer RE was the equivalent of a private. His RE rank indicates that he he did not have a recognised tread.

No 2 Company  part of the 5th Mortar Battalion, Special Brigade who were the British Army’s chemical warfare troops. Ther were equipped with the 4 inch Stokes Mortar which fired phosgene filled bombs and and Thermite rounds, which was an incendiary material.

I will check my Special Brigade material to see if there is any mention of your relative.

TR

 

 

 

 

[rogerpgeorge]

Thank you.

[Terry_Reeves]

1 minute ago, rogerpgeorge said:

Thank you.

This is the information I have for him:

London gazette entry for the C de G https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/32201/supplement/572/data.pdf

1884-1917 Victor Alfred George

The George family had a rather complicated relationship with the war. Sophia George was a widow who ran a newsagent and general stores in Woollards Lane, where Mccolls now is. She had eight sons. Harold had married and left home: he was doing war work on planes. Fred and Clarence were conscientious objectors. Reuben was exempted on grounds of a reserved occupation, growing food as a nurseryman. Up till then, Victor had worked with his brothers in the nursery. He joined up in August 1915, and had been in France for 14 months when he was killed. He was a pioneer in the Royal Engineers - these were the men who dug and maintained trenches, laid communications cables, built bridges and generally did manual labour - and for 6 months he served as batman to the lieutenant. Victor was killed on November 14 1917 by a sniper’s bullet in Belgium. He was awarded a medal for bravery by the Belgian government. He was Mrs George’s sixth son, and was 33 when he died. CIP 30 Nov 1917.

 Killed 14.11.17 (33) Son of Mr and Mrs Alfred George of Great Shelford Cambs. Buried Steenkerke Belgian Military Cemetery. Commemorated Shefford War Memorial And Great Shelford Village Hall Memorial (text from Great Shelford History www.

TR

 

[rogerpgeorge]

This is great Terry, thanks.

[Terry_Reeves]

1 hour ago, rogerpgeorge said:

This is great Terry, thanks.

The company war diary is available for free download from The National Archives once you have registered. This will give you their day to day doings. 

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=wo95%2F487%2F5

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=WO95%2F487%2F6&_sd=&_ed=&_hb=

His number indicates he was transferred from another RE unit, possibly a field company. Unfortunately his service record had not survived, but his number appears to be one issued to   203 (Cambridgeshire)  Field Company RE. 

TR

Edited 7 November , 2023 by Terry_Reeves