Name
George Harradine
23 February 1886
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
26/04/1918
34
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
29765
Bedfordshire Regiment
7th Bn.
'C' Coy.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
CROUY BRITISH CEMETERY, CROUY-SUR-SOMME
I. E. 17.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Odsey War Memorial, St Mary's Church Ashwell WW1 Roll of Honour. Not on the Ashwell War Memorial
Pre War
George Harradine was born on 23 February 1886 in Steeple Morden, Cambridgeshire, the son of William and Elizabeth Harradine and was was baptised at Steeple Morden, on 7 July 1886. His father gave his occupation as railway labourer . (N.B. his brother Fred (born 27 July 1884) and sister Elizabeth (born 10 December 1879) were baptised at Steeple Morden the following month on 8 August.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at Bell Baulk, Steeple Morden, where his father was working as a platelayer for the Great Northern Railway. By 1901 he had moved to London and was a boarder at the home of Charles and Mary Laws at 43 Frederick Street, Islington, and was working as a railway horsekeeper/groom.
He married Minnie Rosina Law in the Royston Registration district in late 1902 but was sadly widowed by the death of his wife in in late 1905 following the birth of their son William. He married widow Rosetta Jarvis (widow of Frank Jarvis) on 13 July 1907 in Steeple Morden Church, Cambridgeshire. Rosetta had a child Ernest (born 1903) from her first marriage and they later had two more children, daughters Mildred and Beatrice. George was working as a mechanic in 1907
At the time of enlistment, he was living at Mill Cottages, Odsey, with his wife and four children and working for Sir George Fordham, a prominent figure in Odsey, (who later paid for the Odsey War Memorial).
Wartime Service
George enlisted in Bedford in June 1916 and joined the Bedfordshire Regiment, being posted to France in September of that year.
On 24 April 1918 the 7th Battalion, Beds Regiment were involved in the action at Villers Bretonneux when they took up a position south of Cachy. It is likely that this is when George received a serious gunshot to his shoulder. He died of his wounds on 26 April 1918, aged 34, and is buried in Crouy British Cemetery, Crouy sur Somme, France.
Additional Information
His widow received a war gratuity of £8 10s and pay owing of £8 15s 3d. She also received a pension of £1 13s 9d a week for their four children.
His stepson, Frank Jarvis, was awarded a certificate for gallant conduct at the Battle of Messines in June 1917. He had worked as a porter at Ashwell Station. (N.B. Ashwell Station is very close to the hamlet of Odsey.)
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Patty Briggs, Brenda Palmer
Adrian Pitts, Paul Johnson, Lynette Wray, Jonty Wild, www.ashwellmuseum.org.uk
