Name
George Dockru (poss Dockree)
8/09/1888
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
10/04/1917
30
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
19207
Bedfordshire Regiment
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 5
France
Headstone Inscription
He has no Headstone. He is commemorated on the Arras Memorial to the missing.
UK & Other Memorials
St Albans Citizens Memorial, Town Hall (old) Memorial, St Albans, Fleetville Memorial (Hatfield Rd Cemetery), St Albans, St Mark’s Church Plaque, Colney Heath, London Colney Village Memorial, London Colney Roll of Honour
Pre War
George DOCKREE was born in London Colney, Hertfordshire, on 8th September 1888, son of Caleb Dockree an Agricultural Labourer and Sarah Dockree (nee Oakley). One of their six children.
His parents Caleb and Sarah married on 24th July 1881, in St Albans, Herts. Caleb was 44 and Sarah 27, It is believed Caleb served in the Royal Field Artillery prior to his marriage to Sarah.
George was Baptised on 4th August 1889, in the Parish of Colney St Peter, Herts.
1891 Census George aged 2, was the youngest of four children living in London Colney, Herts, with his parents, Caleb and Sarah. George’s older siblings were all girls, Annie (10), Emma (8) and Alice (6).
In 1899, his father Caleb Dockree died in Greater London, aged 62.
1901 Census George (12) was the eldest of the three children living with their widowed mother Sarah. The other children are George’s two sisters, Florence (6) and Agnes (4); the older sisters Annie, Emma and Alice having left the family home at Waterside, London Colney, Herts.
1911 Census records George (22) as a bricklayer’s labourer, boarding with Arthur and Eliza Savill and their daughter Rose, a straw hat finisher, at 49 Church Road, St Albans, Herts.
George Married Emma Minnie Cook the daughter of Ernest Frederick and Francis Cook on 7th May 1911, in London Colney, Herts. They went on to have two sone, Harold George born in March 1912 and Ronald Ernest born in June 1914.
Wartime Service
George Enlisted in the Bedfordshire Regiment shortly after the outbreak of war with his brother-in-law Fred James Cook. George with the service number 19207 and Fred with the service number 19209. On completion of his training he went to France on 26th July 1915. He returned to England in November of that year with shell shock and was in hospital for twelve months, returning to France in December 1916.
The Bedfordshire Regiment war diaries at the time of George’s death record the following:
2nd April 1917: “In billets for training (Etrée-Wamin).”
5th April 1917: “Marched to Hauteville (8 miles).”
7th April 1917: “Marched to Wanquentin (3 miles).”
8th April 1917: “Marched to Warlus (2 miles).”
9th April 1917: “Marched to Arras (6 miles) and drew fighting equipment: advanced to road N & S through Feuchy Chapelle (4 miles) and dug in.”
10th April 1917: “Captured La Folie Ferme & La Bergere, in conjunction with attack of 11th Battalion on Moncey-Le-Preux. Lt Shaw killed. Battalion entrenched on the La Mergere crossroads – Guemappe. Lt Hedges, Pattison, Davidson, Freeman wounded.”
In April 1917 Mrs (Minnie) Dockree received a letter from George’s commanding officer Lieut Dudley W Wright, announcing with deepest regret that George was killed in action on the afternoon of April 10th. Dudley confirmed that George was shot through the body and felt that his death would have been instant. He also confirmed that George was one of his best bombers and was most popular with his comrades. Dudley was close by George at the time and during the action only managed to retrieve George’s identity tags which he sent to Minnie. This above was all confirmed in an article in the Herts Advertiser.
The Herts Advertiser at the time of George’s death [April 1917] stated that Lance Corporal Fred Cook was his brother in law. The sad fact was that Minnie lost her husband and her brother, Fred, within a three week period. The article also went on to say that in addition to Minnie, George also left two children. One of whom was Ronald Ernest, who is recorded in the St Mark’s register as being baptised on 26th July 1914 (born 18th June 1914). Exactly a year later George was sent to France.
The last place of residence, “Ferndale”, 4 Beresford Road, St Albans, Herts, was the family home with his wife, Minnie, and this was confirmed through a note on George’s Medal Index Card.
Additional Information
Emma received a grant of £3, on 10th May 1917, a widow’s pension of 22/11, (£1-2s-11d) a week from 29th October 1917, her address was 4 Beresford Road, St Albans, Herts, and his effects of £4-18s-05d, pay owing and his war gratuity of £10-10s-00d.
George’s brother-in-law, Lance Corporal 19209 Fred James Cook, of the 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment was Killed in Action on 14th March 1917, he has no known grave, he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France, to the missing.
He is recorded as George Dockru on the SDITGW Records.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Gareth Hughes, Graham Clark – World War One – The Fallen of London Colney, Grace Clark, Jonty Wild
