Rfn
George Frederick Warby
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 05/12/1888 |
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Place of birth: Peckham, Surrey, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: Bermondsey, Surrey, England, United Kingdom |
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Profession: Milkman |
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Religion: Church of England |
Army information
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Country: Ireland, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Rifleman |
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Service number: 43590 |
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Enlistment place: Camberwell, Surrey, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Royal Irish Rifles, 13th Bn. (1st County Down) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 16/08/1917 |
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Place of death: Somme - Wiesengut, Saint-Julien, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 28 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: VI Row: H Grave: 15 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
George Frederick Warby was born in December 1888 at 53 Graylands Road, Peckham, Middlesex, the home of his parents, William Warby, a railway servant, and Frances Warby. George started working as a milkman.
In March 1913, he married Hilda Sybil Smith in Greenwich, the daughter of a pharmacist. The couple settled in Bermondsey. They had two daughters: Dorothy Elizabeth in 1914 and Hilda Frances in 1915.
George delivered milk around Old Kent Road, but like so many, he was swept up by the First World War. In 1916, he was conscripted. He served on the Western Front, first with the London Regiment, later with the 13th Battalion (1st County Down) of the Royal Irish Rifles, part of the 108th Brigade within the 36th (Ulster) Division.
On 16 August 1917, the 36th (Ulster) Division took up positions just south of the village of St Julien. The division advanced with two brigades: the 109th Brigade on the left and the 108th Brigade on the right. To their right was the 16th (Irish) Division. Taking part in the assault from the 108th Brigade were the 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers and the 13th Royal Irish Rifles; the 12th Royal Irish Rifles supported the attack, while the 11th Battalion was in reserve.
The attack began at 4.45 a.m. The 13th Royal Irish Rifles advanced behind a creeping artillery barrage but struggled to keep pace due to the swampy terrain. The battlefield was strewn with flooded shell holes and waterlogged trenches. The advancing lines came under intense machine gun and rifle fire from bunkers near Somme Farm. They managed to pass Somme but were unable to take it, forcing the companies to dig in nearby.
Support and reserve troops were pushed forward to reinforce the attack, but their progress was hampered by machine gun fire from Gallipoli, Hindu Cottage, and Aisne Farm on the right, and from Pond Farm and again Hindu Cottage on the left. An hour after the attack began, the battalion fell back to its original lines. Survivors regrouped, and with reinforcements from battalion headquarters, another attempt was made to take Somme — in vain. The renewed attack was shattered by withering German crossfire. The battalions of the 108th Brigade became scattered and intermixed along their original positions. Officers reorganised the men and set about strengthening the line. The following day, the 108th Brigade was relieved by the 107th.
The assault had been a disaster. The two Irish divisions made negligible gains. No further attacks were made by the 36th (Ulster) Division.
The clinking of milk bottles along Old Kent Road fell silent — for a time, until another took his place. George, 28 years old, father of two daughters, was killed on 16 August 1917 in a field between St Julien and Zonnebeke. He was initially buried near the lines at Somme. After the war, he was laid to rest at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Plot VI, Row H, Grave 15.
In March 1913, he married Hilda Sybil Smith in Greenwich, the daughter of a pharmacist. The couple settled in Bermondsey. They had two daughters: Dorothy Elizabeth in 1914 and Hilda Frances in 1915.
George delivered milk around Old Kent Road, but like so many, he was swept up by the First World War. In 1916, he was conscripted. He served on the Western Front, first with the London Regiment, later with the 13th Battalion (1st County Down) of the Royal Irish Rifles, part of the 108th Brigade within the 36th (Ulster) Division.
On 16 August 1917, the 36th (Ulster) Division took up positions just south of the village of St Julien. The division advanced with two brigades: the 109th Brigade on the left and the 108th Brigade on the right. To their right was the 16th (Irish) Division. Taking part in the assault from the 108th Brigade were the 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers and the 13th Royal Irish Rifles; the 12th Royal Irish Rifles supported the attack, while the 11th Battalion was in reserve.
The attack began at 4.45 a.m. The 13th Royal Irish Rifles advanced behind a creeping artillery barrage but struggled to keep pace due to the swampy terrain. The battlefield was strewn with flooded shell holes and waterlogged trenches. The advancing lines came under intense machine gun and rifle fire from bunkers near Somme Farm. They managed to pass Somme but were unable to take it, forcing the companies to dig in nearby.
Support and reserve troops were pushed forward to reinforce the attack, but their progress was hampered by machine gun fire from Gallipoli, Hindu Cottage, and Aisne Farm on the right, and from Pond Farm and again Hindu Cottage on the left. An hour after the attack began, the battalion fell back to its original lines. Survivors regrouped, and with reinforcements from battalion headquarters, another attempt was made to take Somme — in vain. The renewed attack was shattered by withering German crossfire. The battalions of the 108th Brigade became scattered and intermixed along their original positions. Officers reorganised the men and set about strengthening the line. The following day, the 108th Brigade was relieved by the 107th.
The assault had been a disaster. The two Irish divisions made negligible gains. No further attacks were made by the 36th (Ulster) Division.
The clinking of milk bottles along Old Kent Road fell silent — for a time, until another took his place. George, 28 years old, father of two daughters, was killed on 16 August 1917 in a field between St Julien and Zonnebeke. He was initially buried near the lines at Somme. After the war, he was laid to rest at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Plot VI, Row H, Grave 15.
Sources 4
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13 Battalion Royal Irish Rifles (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2506/3). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Andrews Newspaper Index Cards, 1790-1976 (Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies, Canterbury (IHGS)). https://www.ihgs.ac.uk/ Sources used |
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Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG14). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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McCarthy Chris., Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account (London, Unicorn Publishing Group, 2018) 52-55. Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/465041 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=5cc44984-1ccf-4859-a81a-aedac2e7c2a0 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/4610635 |