George F L Crompton

 George Frederick Leonard Crompton

George was born on or near to 10th September in Ardwick Green, Manchester, Lancashire and baptised on 27th November the same year at St Mathew's Church, Ardwick. His father George, was a Grocer by profession and the family home was 10, Cranworth Street, Ardwick, George snr died in 1900. In the 1901 census his widow, Jane still had three of her children with her, George F.L. being the youngest at 22 was employed as a China Ware Salesman.

On 16th November 1901 George married Edith Saxon, a widow, at Moss side Parish Church, Edith had been married previously and had one son who lived with the couple. In 1911 they were still childless except for Edith's son William who was 15 and an Apprentice Draftsman, also living with them was Edith's mother, a midwife. George was working as a Travelling Salesman dealing in Jewelery and fancy goods.

In the initial months of WWI enthusiasm to join up was fuelled by a patriotic fervour to serve the country and the promise it would be all over by Christmas, the thousands flocking to the recruitment offices didn't want to miss out. By mid 1915 this was waning, most likely to do with the realisation that the war was to be a protracted affair and the realisation of what it entailed. Movement of casualty trains by night did not disguise the numbers coming home maimed and disfigured. The Director General  for recruitment, Lord Derby, devised a scheme to encourage eligible men to come forward and volunteer, all between 18 and 41 (except those starred in a protected occupation) had to make a public declaration, some did so at recruitment offices. Following this the individual had two options, immediate or deferred service, on 11th December 1915 George attended a recruitment facility at Stockport, attested and chose option B to defer his service to await call up. To show he had volunteered George was issued with a khaki brassard bearing a red crown.

In 1916 George and Edith adopted Lucy Allard who had been born in 1911 the third child of Fred and Mary Arundel both of whom had now passed away.

On 28th August 1916 George responded to his call up and joined the 2/7 Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers at Henham Park, his medical examination at this time was B1. B category meant he was free from serious organic diseases, able to stand service on lines of communication in France, or in garrisons in the tropics. B1 meant in addition he was able to march five miles, see to shoot with glasses, and hear well. On 11th July 1917 he was transferred to 14th Battalion Prince of Wales's Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment). 14 South Lancs were stationed at this time at Palling on the Norfolk Coast and were formed in January 1917 from home service personel as part of the coastal defences.

Following a medical examination early in 1918 George was given an A classification, the need for more men in France made men fitter than they had previously been, on 8th April George embarked to France arriving the following day. After a few days in an Infantry Base Unit he was posted to 2nd Battalion South Lancashire Regiment and travelled with a draft of replacements to join them in the field.

2nd Battalion had been in France since August 1914, it had recently been caught up in the full force of the German Spring Offensive and suffered massive casualties. Between 21st to 26th March they had lost; two officers and 23 other ranks killed, four officers and 131 other ranks wounded, 7 officers and 193 other ranks missing. The ranks were made up with drafts of new recruits from the base but there was no time to train and shape the Battalion into an efficient fighting force.

On 15th April 1918, the Battalion were again seriously depleted by casualties, having been engaged in the Spring Offensive on the Somme and the second phase Operation Georgette on the Lys. They were withdrawn from the line at 1 a.m. and ordered to Mont des Cats where they went into billets and had the first hot meal for days. The weather had been cold wet and windy but despite this the men, though very tired, were cheerful. Further orders, however, put them back on the road to New Zealand Reinforcement Camp near Abeele arriving at 7 a.m. The following day the remains of 2nd Battalion met up with two other units similarly understrength, a composite Battalion was formed named 75th Battalion and sent under orders of 7th Infantry Brigade. This left 2nd Battalion with eight officers and 200 men, they recieved a draft of 90 replacements, including George who was posted to A Company, and 230 other ranks made up of stragglers who had become displaced from their units. Later that day they became the target of enemy artillery and dug in for protection, enemy aircraft had been busy and no doubt had reported their positions. On 18th April the 2nd withdrew to camp at Mont des Cats where they rested and cleaned up.

A few days rest enabled some organisation, Company Commanders were appointed, two of which were only Second Lieutenants, in charge of A Company was Lieutenant K. M. Bourne MC. On 17th April a tally of the casualties from the previous seven days was drawn up; all ranks - killed - 52, wounded - 386, missing - 208. On 20th April time was found to award 12 Military Medals and a bar to an MM for work during recent operations. The following day the Battalion moved from Mont Des Cats to a camp 2.5 miles north east of Poperinghe arriving at 6.30 p.m. they had been halted on the road for three hours due to heavy traffic, it did give an opportunity for a hot meal to be served though.

On 24th April the Battalion entered the front line half a mile east of the camp, subjected to artillery fire on a daily basis the caualty count continued to rise.

At 1 a.m. Saturday 27th April orders to move were recieved to support positions 1000 yards north of the crossroads in La Clytte, this was completed by 4 a.m., at 12.30 p.m. the Battalion moved to the front line. During this latest move A Company suffered six casualties caused by shell fire, George was one of them.

What happened to George after this is a mystery, initially he was reported slightly wounded and his wife notified accordingly, waiting for news but taking comfort from the minor nature of the report she recieved a second notification that George had been slightly wounded and believed to be a  prisoner of war. The weeks and months went by with no news, the Red Cross were contacted and a report lodged with their International counterparts for information from prisoner of war records, with no result, George was not in a camp. The letters written to the War Office have faded over time but show a family in anguish and frustration, eventually George's missing status was changed to Death Presumed.

Edith applied for a pension and having provided documentary proof of marriage and adoption of Lucy was granted a sum of 38 shillings 7 pence per week. Edith was also give £11.7s.0d. back pay owing to George, a war Gratuity of £9, a Memorial Plaque and Scroll and the British War and Victory Medals he was awarded. Both she and her son never gave up hope and still wrote asking for information in 1924, the only other news was the recovery of his wallet from the battlefield which was sent to her.

I doubt Edith ever heard anything else about George, she did not re-marry and died on 22nd May 1939 aged 63. Of the six casualties on 27th May 1918, three of them appear in Commonwealth War Graves Commision records, two buried in cemeteries nearby and George whose name is on the Tyne Cot Memorial. I believe the most likely explanation is that he was killed but in all the confusion following the events he was confused with one of the other men who was only wounded, so many replacements had joined the Battalion it was impossible to know all of them.