Name
George Minall
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
29/03/1918
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
266252
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
NAMPS-AU-VAL BRITISH CEMETERY
I. B. 31.
France
Headstone Inscription
GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS THAT HE LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS
UK & Other Memorials
Harpenden Town Memorial, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford, Folly Methodist Chapel Window, Wheathampstead, Not on the Batford memorials
Pre War
George was born in 1897 in Harpenden (baptised 27 Apr 1897) to Edward Minall, a platelayer, and Elizabeth ( nee Warren).
On the 1901 Census the family of Parents, Muriel (born 1894), William born 1896, and George were living at 57, Old London Road, Harpenden.
On the 1911 Census the family consisting of parents, George (now working as a horse keeper on a farm, Frederick (born 1902) and Eliza (born ) were living at Crabtree Lane, Harpenden.
Wartime Service
George enlisted in the Hertfordshire Regiment as Private 4236 in Dec 1914. No Service Record could be found for George. He would become No 266262 in the general renumbering of all Territorial Force soldiers in 1917. He went to France sometime in 1915 to join 1/1st Battalion in the field. He was wounded on the Somme and rejoined his unit on his recovery.
On 31 Jul 1917 at St Julien (Battle of Pilkem, 3rd Ypres), The Hertfordshires attacked their objective the German Langemarck Line, but were held up by heavy return fire and wire uncut by our Artillery. There were over 460 casualties, George was one of them. He died from these wounds on 29 March 1918.
Additional Information
Mrs. M. Minall (sister?), Holly Bush, Mackery Road, Harpenden, ordered his headstone inscription: "GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS THAT HE LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS".
War Gratuity of £15 and arrears of £19 8s 3d paid to his mother. She was also awarded a pension of 3s 6d on 31 Oct 1918 increased to 5s per week on 5 Nov 1918.
His brother William served with Hertfordshire Regiment at Ypres before serving in Palestine (Regiment Unknown). After being twice wounded returned to UK and was demobilised in Dec 1918.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild, Mary Skinner, Harpenden & District Local History Society (www.harpenden-history.org.uk)
