Name
George Frederick Heaney
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
18/09/1918
24
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Bombardier
41308
Royal Field Artillery
"D" Battery, 156th Brigade
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ROCQUIGNY-EQUANCOURT ROAD BRITISH CEMETERY, MANANCOURT
IX. A. 34.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Bushey memorials
Pre War
Born in Wandsworth on 1 April 1894, George Frederick Heaney was the son of John Edward and Alice (née Roberts) Heaney. His parents were married on 20 May 1888 at St John Evangelist, Walworth, Southwark. [Note: George’s attestation paper for enlistment gives his birthplace as Bushey, but there are no births with the Heaney surname in the Watford registration district between 1880 and 1910.]
At the 1891 Census, George’s family was living at 27, West Street, Bermondsey. His father was 21 years old and employed as a “Carman”, his mother Alice was 21 and their eldest son, John Samuel, was 2 years old.
By the 1901 Census, the family had moved to Romney Road, Lambeth. George’s father is “working on his own account” as a grocer shopkeeper and there are now five children; John Samuel, Alfred William, Gorge Frederick, Herbert and Charles Ernest. Also living with the family are three of John’s sisters; Isabell, Elizabeth and Jessie M. The ages of both John and Alice is 30, those for the children are 11, 9, 7, 5 and 2 respectively, and are 25, 17 and 13 for John’s sisters. The birthplace for John (Snr.), Alice, John (Jnr.) and Alfred is Bermondsey, that for George is Wandsworth, Herbert is Croydon and Charles Ernest is Norwood.
The family are difficult to trace at the 1911 Census because, for some reason, they have now adopted the Roberts surname instead of Heaney whilst their ages, given names and birthplaces are consistent with those at the previous census. They are now living at Aspley Road, Woburn Sands, Bedfordshire. John (Snr.) is now named John ARTHUR Roberts and the rest of the family includes; Alice, Alfred, George, Herbert, Ernest, Archibald, Alice, Reginald and Zillah. The ages of John (Snr.) and Alice are now given as 41 and 39 and those of the children are 20, 17, 16, 13, 10, 8, 6 and 1 respectively. The birthplace for Archibald is given as Norwood and that for Alice, Reginald and Zillah is Aspley Guise, Bedfordshire.
Electoral registration records for 1918 and 1919 give the address for John Edward & Alice as 5, Stafford Road, Lambeth. By 1925, they had moved to Shefford and remained there at 14, North Bridge Street until at least 1931 when the electoral register includes John Edward, Alice, Reginald Stanley and Zillah. This property is currently called the Brewery Tap, but was formerly The Green Man, the Grapevine and the Countryman.
There is a death registration in 1933 for John E Heaney, age 63, in Biggleswade. The 1939 National Register, taken just before the second world war shows George’s mother, Alice, as “a retired publican” living with her daughter Zillah Wath and her husband Ralph Wath at 54 Clifton Road, Biggleswade.
Wartime Service
The service record for George is available, but was partly burnt as a result of the WW2 bombing. It shows he enlisted on 17 October 1914 at Southwark Town Hall as Gunner 41308 in the Royal Field Artillery. He was age 19 and employed as a Carman. His attestation record gives his birthplace as Bushey, but there is no record of a birth with the Heaney name in the Watford district and census records indicate he was actually born in Wandsworth.
Initially ‘Home’ based and posted to the 104th Battalion on 12 January 1915, he was soon promoted to Bombardier on 1 March 1915. Shortly before joining the battalion, he had attended Connaught hospital with bronchitis on 5 January 1915.
George was reprimanded for “overstaying leave (absent 7 ½ hours)” on 7 May 1915, and also to “forfeit 2 days pay” for being absent for 2 days between 1 and 3 August 1915.
George was posted to France on 25 August 1915, arriving the following day. His role changed to a Driver on 19 May 16 and then back to Gunner on 23 July 1916. He attended hospital with Scabies on 8 March 1916.
He served in France until 22 November 1916 when he was shipped back to England and admitted to the War Hospital at Southampton where he was treated for an injury to his left foot, apparently caused when it was run over by a waggon. He was discharged from hospital on 8 December 1916 and posted to the base depot.
Whilst there he was “admonished” for being absent without leave on 24 January 1917 and given “3 days confined to barracks” for being absent without leave from 10 to 12 February 1917. A few days later he was also reprimanded for being absent without leave from the Woolwich depot on 17 February 1917.
George was embarked from Southampton on 28 March 1917, bound for Le Havre with 57 Reserve Battery. He was posted as Gunner with the 156th Brigade on 22 April 1917, promoted to acting Lance Bombardier on 27 September 1917 and confirmed as Lance Bombardier on 8 October 1917. He was promoted further to Bombardier on 3 November 1917.
George was wounded in action due to gas from a gas shell on 12 March 1918 and admitted to hospital the following day. He was discharged to convalescence depot on 19 March and then to base depot on 18 May 1918 before joining D Battery of the 156th Battalion on 14 June 1918.
He was killed in action on 18 September 1918 and is buried at Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France. His pension record card indicates this was also due to ‘Gas Poisoning’.
The personal possessions for Bombardier Heaney were signed as received by Alice Heaney on 13 July 1920. Her address is originally written as 5, Stafford Road, Stockwell, London, but then crossed through and replaced as 132 high Street, Stevenage. This is a public house, currently called the Marquis of Lorne.
Additional Information
George’s brother, Charles Ernest Heaney, also served in D Battery as Gunner 210087 and was killed in action just a couple of weeks earlier on 6 September 1918. He is also buried in Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery, Seine-Maritime, France. Information provided with the kind permission of Bushey First World War Commemoration Project – Please visit www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk.
Acknowledgments
Andrew Palmer
Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk, Jonty Wild
