George William Tilley
Memorial: Olveston
Regiment: East Kent Regiment
Medals: British War Medal, Next of Kin Memorial Plaque 1914 - 1921, Victory Medal
Rank and number: Private G/12777
Parents: Charles and Elizabeth Tilley
Home address: Tockington, Bristol
Date of birth: 1896
Place of birth: Olveston, Bristol
Date of death: 30/03/1917
Buried/Commemorated at: Loos Memorial (Panel 15 to 19.), France
Age: 21
Further information:
George’s mother Elizabeth was born in Tytherington and moved to Awkley when she married Charles Tilley, a labourer on Mr Millard’s Awkley House farm. When George was born, in March 1896, there were already four girls in the family and another was to arrive two years after George
On November the 17th 1915 at the age of 19 years and 8 months George Tilley was attested at Bristol. For the next six months he went back to labouring for Mr Millard, as other members of the Tilley family had done before him and would continue to do after the war. George was called up at the end of May 1916 and posted for general service to the 9th Royal Berkshire Regiment, which he joined on the 2nd of June 1916. By the end of September George was in Rouen and on the 7th of October he was transferred to the 1st Battalion of the Buffs (otherwise known as the East Kent Regiment). On February 12th 1917, the Buffs were inspected by Sir Douglas Haig and then had two weeks behind the lines at Robecq for training and physical recreation. Moving to the front line at Loos in March meant almost daily casualties and on the 23rd of March Lieut. A. Corney wrote in the Battalion diary:
A party composed of Capt. V. L. Strauss, 2nd Lieuts. G. Brown, P. H. T. Davis and F. H. Griffiths and 100 rank and file carried out a successful raid against the German front and support trenches – results: One German machine-gun blown up, 7 German dugouts occupied and blown up. One prisoner (unwounded) brought in
Trophies from the raid were: One German machine-gun with belt, one German steel helmet., three German trench notice boards, one German belt and bayonet
Congratulatory messages were received from both the Brigade and Corps commanders. 4 other ranks were killed in this action, 4 other ranks died of wounds, 2nd Lieut. Griffiths wounded in action, 2nd Lieut. Davis missing plus 7 other ranks missing. Estimated enemy dead 200
George Tilley was one of those missing and then confirmed as Killed in Action. He is remembered on the Loos Memorial north-west of Lens in France. During the course of the war his mother had been widowed and moved to live in Tockington
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
Forces War Records and CWGC