Name
George Ambrose
23 December 1891
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
27/03/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
201148
Essex Regiment
4th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
JERUSALEM MEMORIAL
Panels 32 to 38.
Israel and Palestine (including Gaza)
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial
Pre War
George Ambrose was born in Hemel Hempstead on 23 December 1891, the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Ambrose (nee Tripp), and baptised there on 22 January 1892.
His father had married Rebecca Ann Lane in 1879, but she had died in 1880 shortly after giving birth to their son Sydney who also died. His father then married George's mother in 1886 and George had two older siblings, a sister Daisy and brother Thomas. Sadly his mother died following his birth and was buried on 31 December 1891 in Heath Lane Cemetery, Hemel Hempstead.
On the 1891 Census earlier in the year, the family were living in Bury Road, Hemel Hempstead in 1891 and his father was working as a Tanner's Labourer in the tannery at Corner Hall.
His father married for the third time in 1892 to Ann Maria Ringshall (Annie), with whom he had seven more children.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at 34 Bury Road, Hemel Hempstead, where his father was working as a Hide Dresser. His father died in 1908, aged 52 and is buried in Heath Lane Cemetery, Hemel Hempstead.
By the 1911 Census, George was boarding at the Brewer's Arms public house in High Street, Hemel Hempstead, where Mrs Emma Pitkin was the landlady. Ten other men were boarding at the pub, many of them working as Agricultural Labourers on local farms. His widowed stepmother Annie, brother Thomas and seven stepsiblings were living at 2 Alexandra Terrace, Albion Hill, Hemel Hempstead.
His stepmother remarried later in 1911 to James Dealey in Hemel Hempstead.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in 1915 in Hemel Hempstead and initially served with the Bedfordshire Regiment under reg. no. 20569 later transferring to the 1/4th Battalion, Essex Regiment which was based in St Albans at the time. On completion of basic training George was sent to Palestine in late 1915.
In 1916 he was involved in the defence of the Suez Canal, followed by the First Battle of Gaza in 1917. George was killed in action during a failed attack on Gaza, (a main Turkish defensive position) and casualties were high. Death was presumed on or since 27 March 1917.
He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Jerusalem Memorial, Israel & Palestine, along with 176 others from the Essex Regiment who died on the same day.
Additional Information
A war gratuity of £8 10s and his pay owing of £7 3s 9d was divided between his siblings, half siblings and stepmother Annie Dealey.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.hemelheroes.com, www.hemelatwar.org, www.dacorumheritage.org.uk
