Name
George Edward Gatward
1892
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
07/08/1918
25
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
204421
Norfolk Regiment
7th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
POZIERES MEMORIAL
Panel 23.
France
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Kimpton Village Memorial, St Peter & St Paul Church, Kimpton, Not on the Whitwell memorials
Pre War
George Edward was born in 1892 in Kimpton, St Pauls Walden to Edward Gatward, a farm labourer, and Fanny (nee Todd).
On the 1901 Census his parents together with Florence (born 1888), Clara (born 1890), George Edward, Hilda Daisy and Wilfred (born 1898 were living at Hoo End, Whitwell, St Pauls Walden.
By the 1911 Census the family of parents, George (farm labourer), Daisy (nursemaid), Wlifred, Lily (born 1903) and Doris (born 1906) were living at Holt Cottages, The Holt, Kimpton.
Wartime Service
George Edward enlisted as a Territorial Force soldier in the Hertfordshire Regiment on 27 Apr 1915 as Private 4888, he was later transferred to the Bedfordshire Regiment as Private 266578 and subsequently to the Norfolk Regiment as Private 204221. No Service Record was found for George but his Bedford serial number suggests a renumbered Territorial force soldier. He went to France on October 18, 1916, (probably to a Battalion of the Bedfordshires) and was returned to England suffering with trench fever on 30 Apr 1917. He returned to France in April 1918; This may have been the occasion of his transfer to 7th (Service) Battalion, Norfolk Regiment a component of 35 Brigade, 12 (Eastern) Division. In Aug 1918 the division was positioned in the Somme area.
George was reported as killed in action on 7 Aug 1918. His remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the Pozieres Memorial, Somme.
The Hertfordshire Express reported on the 31st of August 1918: "With deep regret we record the death in action on the Western Front on August 7 of Private George Edward Gatward (25), Norfolk Regiment, the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Gatward, The Holt, Kimpton. The sad official news was received by his parents on Friday last week. Before joining up he worked for Mr. Isaac Ivory at Dane Farm. Much sympathy is felt for his parents and family in their sad loss."
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £15 and pay owing of £9 10s 8d. Pension records exist but give no indication of any payment received.
Brother Wilfred Charles served with Beds Regt, Lancashire Fusiliers and Machine Gun Corps and survived the Great War
Acknowledgments
Derry Warners, Neil Cooper, Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, Malcolm Lennox
