Pte 42688 George Tweedy

• Age: 26
• From: Wexford
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• D.O.W Saturday 4th August 1917
• Commemorated at: Lijssenthoek M C Poperinghe
  Panel Ref: XVII.E.16

George Tweedy was born on 7th June 1890 at Templetown, Co. Wexford, Ireland and was the son of John and Mary Tweedy (nee Power. , who had married 8th Sept 1887 at Templetown. His father's occupation is listed as a sailor.

On the 1901 Census George is at house 13 in Templetown, Wexford, Ireland. Father John 42 a sailor, mother Kate 43 a dressmaker, children Mary Ellen 12 scholar, George 10 scholar, Patrick 8 scholar, Johanna 6 scholar (all born Co.Wexford).

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 75 Latham Street Kirkdale, Liverpool. 

His father, Willie, is aged 44, born 1867 and is a harbour board mariner on a dredger who was born in County Wexford as was his wife and children. His wife is aged 44, 1867 and they have been married for twenty eight years and have had four children, George aged 20, born 1891 occupation grocer’s assistant, P.K Tweedy aged 18, born 1893 also working as a grocer’s assistant, Mary aged 22, born 1889 is a machinist and Johanna aged 16, born 1895. They also have a visitor at the address Patrick Kennedy a mariner aged 25, born 1886 from Wexford.

George enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 20th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 42688 when he died of wounds on the 4th August 1917, aged 26, during the Third Battle of Ypres.

He now rests at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinghe, Belgium.

During the First World War, the village of Lijssenthoek was situated on the main communication line between the Allied military bases in the rear and the Ypres battlefields. Close to the Front, but out of the extreme range of most German field artillery, it became a natural place to establish casualty clearing stations. The cemetery was first used by the French 15th Hopital D'Evacuation and in June 1915, it began to be used by casualty clearing stations of the Commonwealth forces.

From April to August 1918, the casualty clearing stations fell back before the German advance and field ambulances (including a French ambulance) took their places.

The cemetery contains 9,901 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 24 being unidentified. There are 883 war graves of other nationalities, mostly French and German, 11 of these are unidentified. There is 1 Non World War burial here.

The only concentration burials were 24 added to Plot XXXI in 1920 from isolated positions near Poperinghe and 17 added to Plot XXXII from St. Denijs Churchyard in 1981.

Eight of the headstones are Special Memorials to men known to be buried in this cemetery, these are located together alongside Plot 32 near the Stone of Remembrance.

The cemetery, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield, is the second largest Commonwealth cemetery in Belgium.

He is also commemorated on the memorial at St Alphonsus, R.C. Church, Kirkdale.

Soldiers Effects and pension to his father John, and states he died at 2 Canadian CCS which was at Remy siding.

We currently have no further information on George Tweedy, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.