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George Gill (1895-1966)


Darlington man served as private in Canadian Army


Young George arrived in Canada in November 1911 to join his father who had arrived the year previously and was already working as a french polisher in Montreal. They would be joined in 1912 by the rest of the family. On 24 September 1914, George enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) at the newly opened camp at Valcartier, Quebec, giving his mother as his next of kin. He became Private 24597 of the 13th Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada). Almost immediately sailing for England, they arrived on 16 October 1914 and were based at Lark Hill, where the winter months were spent in training. It was here where Private Gill was fined for the first time for disobeying orders. Having been transferred briefly to the 17th Reserve Battalion, George found himself back with the 13th as reinforcement in France, just missing the first use of chlorine gas by the Germans at Ypres in Belgium.

Wounded slightly at the beginning of May 1915, he was treated locally and rejoined his unit later in the month. July 1915 saw him punished for being drunk, obscene and disobedient. In August 1915 he was in hospital in Rouen with onychia, inflammation of his toe nails. This led to him being invalided to England and part way through his convalescence he came down with rheumatic fever and didn’t rejoin his battalion in France until March 1916. May 1916 saw him being treated for shell shock in a Field Ambulance Station. At the end of June 1916, George broke out of camp, and remained absent until caught by the military police, and for this he forfeited a day’s pay.

Troubled with his feet and after treatment at No. 7 Canadian Stationary Hospital, George was invalided again to England, where he underwent six operations to remove his toenails, hopefully solving the problem with his feet. After convalescence, he was based at the Canadian Corps Training Depot at Hastings until he was transferred to the Canadian Forestry Corps in February 1917 and posted to No.10 Company in Edinburgh. Private Gill’s worst misdemeanour was to come in August of the same year, when he was sentenced to nine months detention for striking a superior officer. Serving his time at Bramshott in mid-February 1918, the rest of his sentence was remitted on his transfer back to the 13th Battalion in France, where he joined them in the fighting at Amiens and Arras, and then on to the Drocourt-Queant line.

After the Armistice, the 13th Battalion marched across the German border to Cologne to guard enemy war materials. It was whilst based here that George forfeited fourteen days pay for neglecting to obey an order given by a superior officer. Returning to England with his battalion in February 1919, George married Florence Fowler in Reading. On 11 April 1919 George, his wife and baby son sailed together on the return journey to Canada.

George and his family moved to the United States and became naturalised citizens.

Civil Parish: Darlington

Birth date: 14-Jun-1895

Death date: 1966

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: 68 Easson Road, Darlington (1901 census)
8 Springfield Road, Wigan (1911 census, boarding house with mother and brother)
1275 Wellington Street, Verdun, Montreal (enlistment papers)
782 Evelyn Street, Montreal (1921 Canadian census)
13206 Syracuse, Onondaga, New York, USA (death certificate)

Religion: Church of England

Employment: Grocer’s errand boy (1911 census)
Labourer (enlistment papers)
Moulder (1921 Canadian census)

Family: Parents: George Gill, Annie Gill nee Still
Siblings: Dora Gill, Arthur Gill, Ida Gill, Queenie Gill (died in infancy), Albert Edward Gill, Edgar Gill (died in infancy)
Wife: Florence Ada Gill nee Fowler
Children: Harry Gill, Florence Gill

Military service:

Private 24597
13th Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force
17th Reserve Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force
Canadian Forestry Corps

Medal(s): British War Medal
Victory Medal

Gender: Male

Contributed by Jean Longstaff, Durham

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