George Arthur Wells

 George Arthur Wells

George was born in February 1892 in Newington, Hull, and baptised on 6th March the same year. His father George was a self employed Greengrocer and his mother, Asinath had given birth to two children, George and the year before a girl, Florence. In 1911 George Senior was working as an Agent of the Fruit Commision whilst George Junior was a Clark in a Merchants office, the family was then living at 26, Malm Street Boulevard, Hull.

On 5th September 1914 George answered the call to arms and enlisted at Wenlock Barracks, Hull in the East Yorkshire Regiment, given the number 10/738 he was posted to 10th (Service) Battalion (1st Hull). Formed in Hull on 29th August 1914 by Lord Nunburnholme and the East Riding Territorial Force Association, 10th was assigned to 92nd Brigade of 31st Division and was commonly known as the Hull Commercial Battalion. 92nd Briade consisted of four Battalions called the Hull Pals, the other three; 11th - Hull Tradesmen, 12th - Hull Sportmen and 13th Hull T'others, reflect the areas from which the recruits had been drawn. This early trend in recruitment allowed groups of Pals from the same workplace or social groups to join and serve together, it was later abandoned due to the detrimental effect on communities when grave losses occurred.

East Yorkshire Regiment Cap Badge

The Commercials commenced training locally using the fairground at Walton Street for drill, their was no barracks or camp available and the men continued living at home. Neither was there sufficient uniform or arms available but piece by piece the men were equipped and slowly transformed from civilians, wearing just an armband in Battalion colours, to soldiers. In November 1914 khaki uniforms arrived and the 10th were sent to Hornsea Yorkshire for defence duties on a stretch of coast from Mappleton to Ulrome. On arrival the camp was unfinished and a sea of mud, 60 men were crammed into each 30 man hut, none of which had windows or doors. A consignment of aged Lee Enfield rifles arrived for issue and the War Office enquired as to their efficiency, the CO Lieutenant Colonel A J Richardson is reputed to have responded, "the rifles will certainly go off, doubtful which end". In February 1916 George spent three days in a Voluntary Aid Detachement hospital in Hornsea with Follicular Tonsilitis.

In June 1915 10th moved to South Camp Ripon and then in September to Hurdcott camp, Fovant where training continued in earnest on Salisbury Plain, here they recieved new SMLE rifles and commenced musketry training. In November orders were recieved to mobilise to France but at the last minute these were recinded and on 7th December the Division embarked from Devonport sailing to Egypt where they joined the Suez Canal defences based a Quantara. In February 1916 further orders mobilised the Division from Port Said where they embarked on HMT Tunisian to Marseille to join the BEF.

Arriving in France on 7th March 1916 the 10th moved by train and route march to Englebelmer where in groups they recieved instruction in the trenches from 9th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers. On 28th March the 10th relieved 12th Royal Irish Rifles in the front line between Beamont Hamel and Y Ravine, commencing their first tour in the trenches under their own supervision. The relief was carried out between 9 and 11 p.m. and went without incident, the night passed quietly as this sector was considered to be inactive and ideal for training and acclimatisation of new formations. The German artillery became active the following day, 29th of March, and at 6.15 p.m. during stand to they fired a Minenwerfer into the Battalions positions which killed one man. The weather was very cold and some snow was falling.

'Stand to' was short for 'stand to arms' which was a practise observed every evening and morning to guard against enemy attack which invariably occurred during the hour of darkness after dusk and before dawn.  Each man stood on the fire step facing the enemy with loaded rifle and fixed bayonette, if no attack occurred after morning stand to the men made breakfast and consumed their daily rum ration. It is ironic that the practise was adopted by both sides who would be guarding against attack at the same time and became known as 'the morning hate', the tension was often relieved by machine gun and rifle fire at the opposing trench.

Trench System at Beaumont Hamel

On 30th March 1916 at 5 a.m. George was stood to when a snipers bullet hit and killed him, he was buried in Auchonvillers Military Cemetery and his family notified. George left £2.5.10 which with a war gratuity of £6.10s was given to his mother. George was awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War and Victory Medals which along with a Memorial Plaque and Scroll was also sent to Asenath.