George Green

Memorial: Olveston

Regiment: Australian Imperial Forces

Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal

Parents: Frederick Smith Green and Agnes Marion Green

Home address: Oakleaze, Washingpool Hill, Rudgeway, Glos

Date of birth: 1889

Place of birth: Tauranga, Cambridge

Date of death: 10/06/1917

Buried/Commemorated at: Ypres Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium

Further information:

George Green’s father, Frederick Smith Green, was born in Bristol and his mother, Agnes Marion, in Oulton, Suffolk. Where they met is not known but in the 1880s they were farming in North Island, New Zealand for George was born in Tauranga, Cambridge, while younger sisters, Edith and Agnes were born in Pukekura. By 1901 the family had returned to England and lived at Oakleaze on Washingpool Hill at Rudgeway. At this time the family had two servants living in. While the rest of the family stayed in England, George's sister Agnes married a Mr Young of Weston-Super-Mare. George went to seek his fortune in Australia as a miner. A bachelor at the age of 27 in January 1916, he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Forces in Perth, Western Australia and was assigned to the 44th Battalion having inflated his age by one year. On June the 6th 1916, the Battalion, known as “Old Bill’s Thousand” after its commanding officer Lt. Col. William Mansbridge, embarked for England, arriving at Plymouth on July 21st

The Battalion trained at Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain, where, on one occasion, George was charged with being absent without leave as he was 14 hours late returning to camp, for this he lost two days pay. On the 25th of November 1916 the battalion embarked from Southampton for France. The bleak winter was spent alternating between service in the front line and training and labouring in the rear areas. The Battalion fought its first major battle at Messines-Wytschaete Ridge in Belgium, a strongly held strategic position on the Western Front, which had been held by the Germans since late 1914. The offensive operation starting on June 7th 1917 was the product of long preparation, detailed planning and sound training carried out by General Plumer’s Second Army. The initial assault was preceded by the detonation of nineteen mines under the German front line which caused an estimated 10,000 German casualties. A further five mines did not explode — two due to German sabotage. British and Anzac infantry advanced behind a carefully co-ordinated artillery bombardment and took all their objectives in the first hours of the battle. German counter attacks the following day failed, and although German resistance continued until the 14th of June, we retained possession of the captured areas. Private George Green of ‘A’ company was first reported as missing then confirmed as Killed in Action on June the 10th 1917. His name is recorded on the Ypres Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres