Biography of Private George Edward Healey (27253)
“B” Coy., 1st Battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)
Formerly 4063 Lincolnshire Regiment
Died 20th December 1916

Mother

• Name: Annie Havercroft
• DOB: 1871
• Place Of Birth: Folkingham, Lincolnshire, England
• Marriage: 1896 Bourne District

• None found

Marriage

• No marriage for George has been found and because of his age we can assume that he never had the opportunity to marry.

Newspaper Mentions

• The Times Saturday 20th January 1917
  ROLL OF HONOUR
  LOSSES IN THE RANKS
  LIST OF 1,060 NAMES
  All are privates except where otherwise shown.  The town shown against each soldier’s name is the home of his next-to-kin, except when followed by the abbreviation “Enlt.,” when it is his place of enlistment.
  KILLED
  KING’S OWN (R. LANCS R.) – Healey, 27253 G. (Bourne)

Military Records

Medals

• The British Medal
  The Victory Medal

Memorials

• UK:
• Thurlby, Roll of Honour in St Firmins Church

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
• In memory of Private George Edward Healey, 27253, “B” Coy., 1st Bn., King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) who died on 20 December 1916 Age 20
• Son George Edward and Annie Healey, of Northorpe, Thurlby, Bourne, Lincs.
• Remembered with honour, Thiepval Memorial

© Picture taken by South Lincolnshire War Memorials

Military Service Timeline

George was born in 1896 in Corby (Glen) Lincolnshire. He was the son of George Edward Healey, a working farmer born in Bulby Lincolnshire and his wife Annie Havercroft. The couple were married in 1896, the marriage being registered in the Bourne district. They were to  have 4 children and the various places of birth of these indicate that the family moved around.

• George Edward Healey, 1896, Corby
• Frank Healey, 1900, Creeton
• Dorothy Healey, 1902, Creeton
• Percy Healey, 1908, Northorpe

 In Creeton in 1901we find the family living on the Main Road. George Senior is working as a farmer. 10 years later the family are now in Northorpe living in a 9 room house. George senior is now a farmer on his own account rather than a worker and now oldest son George junior is working on a farm aged 14.

George enlisted on 17th May 1915 in Bourne attesting to the 4th Lincolnshire Regiment. This is not unusual as the 4th was a territorial battalion and had a recruiting office in the town run by Major C W Bell.

 The 4th Battalion at the time consisted of three separate units, the 1st / 4th was the first line unit and was to become the main fighting Battalion. The 2nd / 4th, the second line unit, would originally supply men to the 1st line Battalion but was to be mobilised as a fighting battalion.

Initially George was embodied for service with he 3rd / 4th, the third line Battalion that would train and supply men to the 2nd and 1st line Battalions .

 After being embodied to the 3rd on the 17th, after medicals and initial inspections and possibly training, George was transferred to the  2nd / 4th on the 30th July 1915.

 After training the George disembarked in France on the 4th September 1916.

Initially on disembarking he would be sent to the base camp, here he would undergo instructions before joining his Battalion in the field.

During time at the base camp a man could be transferred or posted to a battalion or regiment that needed to be brought back to fighting strength.

 George was then posted to the 1/4th battalion Lincolnshire Regiment on the 9th September 1916. It was not long before once again being transferred to the 4th Reserve Battalion of the Royal Lancasters on the 20th September then finally posted to the 1st Battalion Royal Lancaster.

 Private George Healey 4063 (4363) 4th Lincolnshire Regiment was now Private George Healey 27253 of the King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment.

He was to join his new battalion in the field on the 22nd September joining B company.

We can see George’s first action from the war diaries of the 1st Royal Lancs –

22nd September – Poulainville
Company Training in morning, Route march in afternoon. 370 other ranks from Lincolnshire Regiment arrived.

23rd & 24th September
Company training morning, Route march in afternoon.

25th September
Battalion moved to Allonville and Billeted there for the night, distance 4 miles.

26th September
Battalion marched to Corbie, distance of march 9 miles.

 27th September
Battalion training on ground N.W of Longueville. The attack and consolidation was practiced.

 28th September
Ditto

29th September
Battalion training and rapid digging in.

30th September
Sunday church parade, no other parades

For the beginning of October the Battalion continued training including practice attacks on the village of Lahoussoye and also Franvillers and eventually arranging materials for the actual attack.

 8th October 1916
Battalion marched at 7 am to Citadel camp across country via Morelancourt and Fricourt. The ground was very heavy and it rained continually at Citadel camp the battalion were crowded in small wooden huts.

9th October
Battalion marched at 8 am across country to Bernafay Wood reaching there at 3 pm; at 4 pm orders were received at the battalion was to proceed and occupy reserve trenches at T8 central. The journey to the trenches owing to the rough ground occupied 4 hours. No dugouts in the trenches.

 10th October
In T8 trenches. The trenches was shelled during the morning and in the evening the battalion moved back to Bernafay Wood area.

George was wounded whilst serving with the 1st Battalion on the 10th October 1916 receiving a gun shot wound to the right cheek. He was moved from the 48th Casualty Clearing Station back to No 20 general Hospital in Camiers (Near Etaples) on the 14th October.

After receiving treatment George reported at 6 Convalescent Depot in Etaples two days later. At convalescent depots, men were assessed for their fitness and if classified A1 (fit to fight) were then moved back to their battalion in the field, or if the period had been too long, posted to a new Battalion that was in need of new men.

For George this was a move back to his old battalion and after three days he returned to the 23 Infantry Base and then on to re-join B company 1st Royal Lancs on the 22nd October 1916. The Battalion was still in the Bernafay Wood area.

 On the 22nd the Battalion were involved in an attack on Spectrum Trench, George coming back and straight into the thick of the action. Over the two days of the attack the Battalion lost 4 officers and 26 other ranks killed, 2 officers and 188 other ranks wounded and 48 other ranks missing. They would be relieved on the 24th and by the 27th October would be out of the line once more heading for Allery by the 29th.

The whole of November was spent on company and Battalion training where practice attacks and night training was undertaken.

 On the 1st of December the Battalion were in Billets in Martainneville. Over the next few days the Battalion moved from Martainneville, entrained at Oisemont for Mericourt and marched to Camp M112, on to Camp 16 and then Maurepas Halte before marching to trenches at Sailly-Saillisel.

Here they took over the trenches from the French on the 7th December. It was noted that there was no trench material available. The trenches were not revetted or boarded. Three companies were in the firing line and one in close support.

 The Battalion would stay another three days in the front line trenches then move back to support trenches and into support around Combles.

The Battalion Diaries then tell the story of the next few days for George and the Battalion.

15th December 1916
Battalion marched from support to front-line trenches and took over from Lancashire Fusiliers. Trenches in very bad state and no communication possible along part of communication trenches. Enemy quiet – relief complete 10 pm. Two companies in frontline one company in second, one company in third line.

 16th December
In trenches, frontline occupied by a series of posts on account of the bad condition of the trenches. No material available for improvement of trenches.

 17th December
In trenches. 2nd Lieut W.W.D. Redwood joined Battalion.

18th December
In trenches – 3 other ranks killed, 12 other ranks wounded.

19th December
Battalion relieved by Lancashire Fusiliers and marched to reserve trenches at Fregicourt

 20th December
In trenches – 2nd Lieuts G.J. Wilding and R.A Hildard killed – 3 other ranks killed, 2 other ranks wounded.

George was only with his battalion for another 2 months after his first wounding before being posted as killed in action on the 20th December 1916.

The Times Saturday 20th January 1917
ROLL OF HONOUR
LOSSES IN THE RANKS
LIST OF 1,060 NAMES
All are privates except where otherwise shown.  The town shown against each soldier’s name is the home of his next-to-kin, except when followed by the abbreviation “Enlt.,” when it is his place of enlistment.
KILLED
KING’S OWN (R. LANCS R.) – Healey, 27253 G. (Bourne).

George’s story does not end there as his body was never recovered by the Imperial War Graves Commission after the war. His mother Annie Healey wrote to the infantry records department on the 5th January 1925.

Sir, I am advised by the War Graves commission that you are the only person in a position to tell me in what part of France my son was fighting when killed.

We propose erecting a memorial to his and his brothers memory (another son having died at home as the result of war service in the R.N.V.R.).

The soldier in question was private George Edward Healey be company first battalion KOR Lancasters, No 27253 judging from an entry in his notebook I think it was in the neighbourhood of Dellville woods but I would like to know definitely if possible where he was killed, I do hope that you will be able to help me in this.

Yours truly, A Healy.

On the 8th January and internal note was received by Mr Sheppard. On the 20th December 16, the Battalion were in support trenches at Fregicourt. 2 Officers and 3 other ranks were killed.

A further letter was sent to Mrs Healey.

Dear Madam

I write to acknowledge receipt of your letter at fifth of January 1925 re the place of death of your late son no 27243, Pte Geo Ed Healey K.O.R.Regt (Lancaster) and to inform you that the 1st Battalion of the above named regiment were at Fregicourt on the 20th Dec 1916 when the deceased soldier was killed in action.

Yours Faithfully. 

The pension records show that the Healy family were still living n Northorpe when George’s pension was registered although the cards were altered to reflect that at some point during the pension being paid, Annie Healey had passed away and George Edward was now receiving his son’s pension.

 Commonwealth War Graves Commission:

In memory of Private George Edward Healey, 27253, “B” Coy., 1st Bn., King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) who died on 20 December 1916 Age 20
Son of George Edward and Annie Healey, of Northorpe, Thurlby, Bourne, Lincs.
Remembered with honour, Thiepval Memorial

 George is also remembered on the war memorial of St Firmin’s Church in Thurlby.

We will remember them.

Thanks go to the Thurlby Village website for permission to use the picture of George Healey.

Sources

• WW1 Soldier’s Records (www.ancestry.co.uk)
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• British Newspaper Archive.