Pte
George Scholey Wales
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1895 |
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Place of birth: Rotherham, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 240498 |
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Enlistment date: 13/04/1915 |
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Enlistment place: Rotherham, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — York & Lancaster Regiment, 1/5th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 26/03/1918 |
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Place of death: Reutel, Beselare, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 23 |
Cemetery
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Polygon Wood Cemetery Plot: / Row: A Grave: 1 |
Distinctions and medals 3
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British War Medal Medal — 22/10/1918 |
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Victory Medal Medal — 22/10/1918 |
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Victory Medal Medal — 22/10/1918 |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Private George Scholey Wales served in the York & Lancaster Regiment 1st/5th Battalion, part of the 148th Brigade, of the 49th (West Riding) Division. The Division had participated in the Battle of Poelcapelle on the 9th of October 1917, a phase of the Third Battle of Ypres (31 July – 10 November 1917) and was brought back to the Flanders Front in February 1918.
On 18 March 1918 the Battalion relieved the Duke of Wellington 1st/4th Battalion in the frontline at the Reutel subsector, East of Polygon Wood. The sector remained fairly quiet till the 25th of March.
On 25 March 1918, at 5.0 p.m., the German artillery opened up a heavy hostile barrage of field guns on the left front Coy. headquarters, lasting 30 minutes. At 9.0 p.m., the party consisting of 2nd Lt. F.W. Redshaw, who was awarded the Military Medal, and 31 other ranked, with flanking parties under the order of 2nd Lt. F. Gosling, raided the enemy pill-box in front of the Battalion sector. The raiding party got within 20 yards of the pill-box but then met with stout resistance offered by both infantry and hostile machine gun. Second Lt. F.W. Redshaw and two other ranked were wounded by bombs. There were many casualties inflicted on the enemy but no prisoners were taken. The party withdrew at 9.20 p.m., hostile retaliation did not follow.
On the 26th of March, at 5.0 a.m., the enemy lay down a barrage on the front line. The hostile raiding party of approximately 40 soldiers entered on front line at two points and moved inwards, passing three ports on the way. About 7 minutes passed between the time of entering the lines until the time of exit. Second Lt. E. Cook and four others went missing and eight men were wounded.
Private George Scholey Wales was killed in action on the 26th of March 1918. He was possibly killed during the German artillery barrage on the Battalion’s frontline. He was buried in Polygon Wood Cemetery.
On 18 March 1918 the Battalion relieved the Duke of Wellington 1st/4th Battalion in the frontline at the Reutel subsector, East of Polygon Wood. The sector remained fairly quiet till the 25th of March.
On 25 March 1918, at 5.0 p.m., the German artillery opened up a heavy hostile barrage of field guns on the left front Coy. headquarters, lasting 30 minutes. At 9.0 p.m., the party consisting of 2nd Lt. F.W. Redshaw, who was awarded the Military Medal, and 31 other ranked, with flanking parties under the order of 2nd Lt. F. Gosling, raided the enemy pill-box in front of the Battalion sector. The raiding party got within 20 yards of the pill-box but then met with stout resistance offered by both infantry and hostile machine gun. Second Lt. F.W. Redshaw and two other ranked were wounded by bombs. There were many casualties inflicted on the enemy but no prisoners were taken. The party withdrew at 9.20 p.m., hostile retaliation did not follow.
On the 26th of March, at 5.0 a.m., the enemy lay down a barrage on the front line. The hostile raiding party of approximately 40 soldiers entered on front line at two points and moved inwards, passing three ports on the way. About 7 minutes passed between the time of entering the lines until the time of exit. Second Lt. E. Cook and four others went missing and eight men were wounded.
Private George Scholey Wales was killed in action on the 26th of March 1918. He was possibly killed during the German artillery barrage on the Battalion’s frontline. He was buried in Polygon Wood Cemetery.
Sources 1
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1/5 Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment , (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2805/2). https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14303 Further reference |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/480077 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=2c57a5f8-a71e-427f-9327-3279f2315dff |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/4578986 |