DRIVER GEORGE JERRARD: 646569
Royal Field Artillery
George was born in Copthorne Surrey and lived in this county for most of his life. His father George had been born in Chideock and after his death in 1909, the family moved to Bridport to be closer to their relatives.
George was one of six children born to George Snr. and Ellen Alice. He had four sisters, Sarah, Theresa, Georgina and Lottie and a younger brother, Percy. George Snr. worked as a gardener and to support the family after his death, Ellen worked as a charwoman. In 1911 only George, Percy and Lottie were living with their mother – the older girls were all in service with different families around the county. Sarah was a cook with the Gosling family in Croydon, Theresa was a general servant with the Bussey family in Wallington and Georgina worked as a general domestic servant with the Scrase family back in Copthorne.
Ellen and the younger children moved to Bridport and they lived at 10 West Bay Road.
When war was declared in 1914, George was only 16. He enlisted with the Royal Field Artillery in Weymouth and was posted to France and Flanders, attached to the 51st Howitzer Brigade supplying ammunition to the guns bombarding the German lines.
In 1917, George was in Belgium part of the force engaged in the Third Battles of Ypres – Passchendaele
He survived the first few months of the engagement, but on September 8th, 1917 he was killed in action.
George was just 19.
He is buried in the Gwalia Cemetery, Ypres.