Cpl George Edward Rigelsford 12 Suffolk Regt

[Will O'Brien]

As per CWGC

Name: RIGELSFORD, GEORGE EDWARD

Initials: G E

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Corporal

Regiment: Suffolk Regiment

Unit Text: 12th Bn.

Age: 25

Date of Death: 25/07/1916

Service No: 21757

Additional information: Son of William Joseph and Anne Margaret Rigelsford, of 46, Avenue Rd., Itchen, Southampton.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: I. J. 42.

Cemetery: PHILOSOPHE BRITISH CEMETERY, MAZINGARBE

[Will O'Brien]

& the cemetery info

Cemetery: PHILOSOPHE BRITISH CEMETERY, MAZINGARBE

Country: France

Locality: Pas de Calais

Location Information: Philosophe lies between Bethune and Lens. From the Lens-Bethune road (N43), follow the D165E road for 400 metres to a right turn. The cemetery lies to the left 100 metres along this track. The first CWGC sign for the cemetery is at the junction of the N43 and the D165E.

Historical Information: The cemetery was started in August 1915. In 1916 it was taken over by the 16th (Irish) Division, who held the Loos Salient at the time, and many of their dead were brought back to the cemetery from the front line. Succeeding divisions used the cemetery until October 1918, and men of the same Division, and often the same battalion, were buried side by side. After the Armistice, many isolated graves from the Loos battlefield were brought into the cemetery, including those of 41 men of the 9th Black Watch. There are now 1,996 Commonwealth burials of the First World War in the cemetery, 277 of them unidentified. The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

No. of Identified Casualties: 1721

[Will O'Brien]

George's online MIC index entry can be seen here

[Will O'Brien]

Found the 10 year old George on the 1901 census living in the parish of Hound in Southampton with his parents & his 6 siblings

His father William was a 47 year old Quarter Master Sergeant in the army & his mother Anne was aged 42. Both were born in Sussex, his father in Battle & his mother in Rye.

George had an elder brother Samuel who was aged 17 & was listed as a non domestic servant. He also had three elder sisters, Frances, Annie & Winifred. They were 19, 16 & 13 years old respectively. Frances' occupation is listed as an Army school teacher (would that be teaching soldiers or teaching the children of soldiers?) & Annie was a domestic servant. George also had a younger sister Edith. There was another sister Dorothy. She was listed as being 10 years old, the same as George. Whether she was 9 to 12 months older/younger than George or his twin is unclear. George & all his siblings were born in Guernsey.