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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment
Rfmn. George Andrew Gillespie
British Army 11th Btn. King's Royal Rifle Corps
from:Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria
(d.8th Aug 1916)
G. Gillespie King's Royal Rifle Corps
George Gillespie was my great-uncle and he was born in Barrow-in-Furness. I have inherited his letters from my father's family and he mentions training in Liverpool, and in his first letter he joked about the poor training of Kitchener's New Armies. When he finally got to France in 1915 his letters did not give details of where he was, where he was going or what he had been doing. One letter mentions that he was in "No-man's land" and that the Germans were 180 yards away. The letter describes how at night his comrades would sing Christmas songs loudly only to be outsung by the German soldiers. This was his last letter dated December 24th 1916.George Gillespie died aged 32 in the Battle of the Somme from mortar shelling which collapsed and killed several men that day. He is buried in Hebuterne Communal Cemetery, Calais, along with one other 11th Battalion member. The letter from his commander, 2nd Lieutenant G.C. Everett, reporting his death did not mention exactly where he died. My research seems to show he may have been in the battle of Delville Woods but I cannot confirm this. George was the son of George and Catherine Gillespie, of 44, Earle Street, Barrow-in-Furness. He was not married.
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