George Ayres

Memorial: Kingswood - Holy Trinity Church

Regiment: Gloucestershire Regiment

Medals: 1914–15 Star, British War Medal, Next of Kin Memorial Plaque 1914 - 1921, Silver War Badge, Victory Medal

Rank and number: Private 22747

Parents: Jane Withey

Home address: Tower Road, Kingswood, Bristol

Pre-war occupation: Bootmaker

Date of birth: 1897

Place of birth: Keynsham, Bristol

Date of death: 03/09/1916

Buried/Commemorated at: No known burial site but commemorated at Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France, Kingswood Holy Trinity Memorial and Kingswood High Street Boys School Memorial.

Age: 19

Further information:

George was born in Keynsham workhouse and in 1901 at the age of 4 he was living with his mother, a single parent and a charwoman, and they were both lodging with the Sealey family in Lantern Bottom Kingswood. George attended Kingswood boys school then in 1911 he was lodging with the Bryant family in Tower Road and working in the boot trade. On his death he left all of his effects (£1 19s 3d) to his mother.

George served with the 12th Battalion, Glosters. George’s regiment mobilised to France in November 1915 where they would have taken part in various actions on the Western Front. George was killed in action in the Battle of Guillemont (03/09/1916) which was one of the engagements of the Battle of The Somme (1 Jul 1916 – 18 Nov 1916). The outcome of The Battle of The Somme was indecisive and cost the allies 420,000 casualties including George. George’s body was never identified and Thiepval Memorial where he is remembered, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and who have no known grave.

By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):

This information has been provided by Sarah Hands, Volunteer Researcher for the South Gloucestershire War Memorials Web Site.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
https://www.cwgc.org/
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/