(1) George James Anderson

[Ben8519]

Hi

I am new here and can see this thread has not been that active recently but hoping to find out what my Great Grandfather did in the war. There is a family story of him going over the top and being wounded and later recovered from no mans land.

This is the information I have;

Name George James Anderson

Born 22 June 1889 Walthamstow

Died 30 May 1972 Tottenham

Father James Anderson

Mother Elizabeth Anderson nee Green

I know it’s a long shot but any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Ben Anderson

[kiterunner]

Welcome to the forum, Ben.

It seems that George was actually born in Bethnal Green although his family had moved to Walthamstow by the time of the 1891 census:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/6598/ESSRG12_1355_1358-0840?pid=18734462&treeid=&personid=&rc=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=dNx27101&_phstart=successSource

There is a birth registration in Bethnal Green Jul-Sep 1889 which would fit with the date of birth that you gave, since people had 6 weeks to register a birth.

This is the 1911 census entry which also gives his birthplace as Bethnal Green:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/2352/rg14_09747_0597_03?pid=52942607&treeid=&personid=&rc=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=dNx27103&_phstart=successSource

Address 102 Northcote Rd, Walthamstow, and his occupation is French Polisher. This may help us to find the right military record, although unfortunately a lot of the WW1 records have not survived.

[kiterunner]

This is his marriage record, 25 Dec 1917, but his occupation is just given as "Private in HM's Army", no specifics of regiment, but at least we know his rank now:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/1623/31280_198607-00279/3850613?backurl=https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/8213679/person/-263137314/facts

His address is given as Elizabeth Cottage, Lea Valley, and his bride's (Phoebe Nora Jackson) as 60 Southwold Rd (Hackney).

[kiterunner]

I was hoping it would be easy to find him on the 1939 Register to see if it gives any info about his previous army service, but he isn't with his wife on there so may not be quite so easy. This is Phoebe with daughter Jean in Bishop's Stortford:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/61596/tna_r39_1601_1601f_005/15545688?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.u k%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdbid%3d61596%26gsfn%3dph*b*%26gsln %3dand*s*n%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln_x%3d1%26cp%3d0%26ms bdy%3d1893%26msbdy_x%3d1%26msbdp%3d2%26hc%3d20%26n ew%3d1%26rank%3d1%26uidh%3dvm5%26redir%3dfalse&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults

[kiterunner]

Okay, this is George in 1939, at 39 Southwold Road, Hackney, with occupation French Polisher but it doesn't give any details of his previous military service:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/61596/tna_r39_0177_0177a_006/6756325?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk %2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdbid%3d61596%26gsfn%3dgeo*%2bj%26g sln%3dand*s*n%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln_x%3d1%26cp%3d0%2 6msbdy%3d1889%26msbdy_x%3d1%26msbdm%3d6%26msbdm_x% 3d1%26msbdp%3d2%26hc%3d20%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26u idh%3dvm5%26redir%3dfalse%26msT%3d1&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults

It has the wrong year of birth which is why I didn't find him straight away.

[ElizabethHerts]

FindMyPast has this:

https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=GBM/WO363-4/7258364/88/1304

First name(s) George James
Last name Anderson
Age 30
Birth year 1889
Birth town Bethnal Green
Birth county Middlesex
Birth country England
Service number M/354718
Regiment Army Service Corps
Unit / Battalion 23rd Reserve Company
Year 1919
Series WO 364
Series description Wo 364 - First World War Pension Claims
Archive
The National Archives

[Ben8519]

Thank you so much for all the information. I have so much more to go on now.

[Merry]

His address is given as Elizabeth Cottage, Lea Valley, and his bride's (Phoebe Nora Jackson) as 60 Southwold Rd (Hackney).

That address (60 Southwold Rd) and the army service number in Elizabeth's last post (354718)are on this pension record on Ancestry:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/1114/miuk1914a_083131-01306?pid=43945&treeid=&personid=&rc=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=OUd3894&_phstart=successSource#?imageId=miuk1914a_083131-01307

It states he had served in France and Belgium for 2 years and 4 months before being wounded by small arms ammunition on 14 Apr 1917. He was treated at number 4 Stationary Hospital (at Arques, Pas-de-Calais, France) and then at a war hospital in Halifax called St Luke's. The bullet perforated his liver and he was in hospital for 3 months.