George Henry Wilshire

Memorial: Downend - Christ Church

Regiment: Gloucestershire Regiment

Medals: British War Medal, Next of Kin Memorial Plaque 1914 - 1921, Victory Medal

Rank and number: Private 26354

Parents: Fred and Elizabeth Sarah Wilshire

Marital status: Single

Home address: 1901 and 1911 Census, the family lived at Leicester Square, Soundwell, Bristol

Pre-war occupation: Boot Maker

Date of birth: 09/12/1893

Place of birth: Mangotsfield, Bristol

Date of death: 01/03/1917

Buried/Commemorated at: Buried at Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium

Age: 23

Further information:

George was born in Mangotsfield, a middle child of four children with two brothers and a sister. His father was a bootmaker and his mother was a dressmaker. George was described as being of genial disposition and very popular.

George is commemorated on the Christ Church Downend memorial and Staple Hill (Page Park) memorial, but with his surname spelt Wiltshire. Most of the records show the surname as Wilshire (Including his birth registration). The 1911 Census records George living at home with his parents, two brothers and younger sister.

George joined the 13th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment in early 1916 and was sent to France in the June. He fought in the Battles of the Somme and was wounded in September of the same year when he returned to England. He was awarded a wound stripe and was back fighting at the Front by the end of 1916. He was killed in action during Operations on the Ancre, three months later. The cemetery where George is buried was used by fighting units and field ambulances until June 1917 and whenever it was possible, the 55th Division brought their dead from the front for burial here.

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/
Kingswood Heritage Museum
Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Findmypast (Soldiers Died during the Great War, 1901 & 1911 Census etc), Researcher John Davis.