George William Hitchings
Memorial: Wickwar - Holy Trinity Church
Regiment: Canadian Infantry
Medals: British War Medal, Next of Kin Memorial Plaque 1914 - 1921, Victory Medal
Rank and number: Private 447814
Parents: Henry and Emily Hitchings (nee Cotterell)
Home address: Back Lane, Wickwar, Glos
Pre-war occupation: Farm Labourer
Date of birth: 03/05/1889
Place of birth: Wickwar, Glos
Date of death: 10/10/1916
Buried/Commemorated at: Canadian National Memorial at Vimy in France
Age: 27
Further information:
George William Hitchings was born on 3rd May 1889. He was the youngest of 10 children. His parents were Henry and Emily (nee Cotterell) Hitchings. Henry had died by the time George died. George was the uncle of Charles William Hitchings who also died in the war (see the separate entry for him). George worked as a farm labourer. In 1911 he was living with his sister Margaret in Back Lane in Wickwar. He then emigrated that year to Canada with his sister Emily
In 1915 George joined the Canadian Infantry. Initially he was a private in the 56th Battalion of the Calgary Regiment. He sailed to England on 1st April 1916 and transferred to the 50th Battalion. He died in October 1916 at the Battle of Ancre Heights at the age of 27. He was buried just outside Courcelette Dressing Station in France, but the grave has since been lost
He is commemorated on the Canadian National Memorial at Vimy in France and on his parents’ headstone in Wickwar. He is also commemorated on the Wickwar war memorials and the Chipping Sodbury Cottage Hospital Memorial Board now at Yate and District Heritage Centre. He was awarded the Victory medal and the British War medal
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
Yate and District Heritage Centre and the book ‘Lest We Forget’ by Arthur Threlfall Searson. Forces War Records and CWGC