Capt Arthur de Bells Adam (MC)
1885 - 1916

CPL David Wallace Crawford
1887 - 1916

Lce-Corpl John Joseph Nickle
1894 - 1916

Pte 17911 Morton Neill
1897 - 1916

Lieut Edward Stanley Ashcroft
1883 - 1918

A/CSM 50991 George Harrison Williams

Age: 29
From: Liverpool
Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
K.I.A Monday 29th April 1918
Commemorated at: Voormezeele Cem Encl No. 3
Panel Ref: XIV.B.2

George Harrison Williams was born on the 28th January 1889 in Liverpool and was the son of Thomas Williams and his wife Mary Ann (nee Boothman) who were married on the 16th June 1880 at St Jude's Church, Edge Hill, Liverpool. Thomas was a 28 year old clerk of 55 Boswell Street, Mary Ann of 34 Hardwick Street. George was baptised on the 06th March 1889 at Christ Church, Kensington, his father was shown as a clerk of 37 Lorne Street.

On the 1891 census the family are living at 5 Lorne Street, Fairfield. His father, Thomas, is aged 39 and a railway clerk born in Liverpool, his mother Mary A. is 37 and was born in Wigan. They have five children in the household, all born Liverpool; Thomas B. 9 a scholar, Harry W. 8 a scholar, Edith A. 7 a scholar, Dora 4, and George H. is 2.

By the time of the 1901 census the family have moved to 61 Moscow Drive, Stoneycroft. His father, Thomas, is aged 49 and is a railway goods agent, his mother Mary A. 46. Their five children are listed as follows; Thomas B. 19 a railway clerk, Harry W. 18 a railway clerk, Edith A. 17 a railway clerk, Dora 14, and George H. is 12.

He was educated at St Margaret’s Higher Grade School.

On the 1911 census the family have moved to 28 Brookland Road, Stoneycroft. His father Thomas is aged 59 a railway accounts collector, mother Mary A. is now 57. They advise that they have been married for 30 years and have had 6 children 5 of whom have survived. Four of their children are in the household; Harry Webster 28 a railway clerk in goods dept., Edith Alice 27 a railway clerk in goods dept., Dora is 24, and George Harrison aged 22 is an assistant salesman for Liverpool Gas Company. Also staying with them is Mary's widowed father Thomas Boothman 84, also a servant Elizabeth Violet Brown 14.

George was employed by the Gas Co. in Herne Bay where he met Kathleen Grace Smith, the daughter of Richard and Emma Smith of Beltinge, Herne Bay.

He enlisted in Herne Bay, Kent on the 29^th May, 1915 and joined the 19th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment.

George and Kathleen were married on the 19^th December, 1915 at St Mary's Church, Herne Bay, Kent. The wedding was reported in the Herne Bay Press on 25th December 1915;

BELTINGE.

Military Wedding.—At St. Mary's Church, Reculver, on Sunday a pretty wedding was solemnized. The contracting parties were Pte. George Harrison Williams, of the 4th King's Liverpool Pals' Regiment, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Williams, of Liverpool, and Miss Grace Kathleen Smith, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. Smith, Post Office, Beltinge. Both were well known in the district, the bridegroom having been engaged for some time, till he joined the Colours, in the showroom of the Herne Bay, Gas and Electricity Company; while the bride has made many friends in her official capacity at the Beltinge Post Office. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. Rogers, and the bride, who looked very nice in her dress of blue ninon, with black velvet hat with pink rose, was given away by Mr. Geo. Brice; while the bridesmaids were the Misses D. and E. Williams, sisters of the bridegroom, and Miss Ella Smith, sister of the bride. Mendelssohn's wedding march was played by Mrs. Hughes as the happy couple left the church. They were the recipients of many handsome and useful presents, and after the reception left for London with the good wishes of the many guests present.

He was serving in the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Company Sergeant Major No 50991 when he was killed in action on the 29^th April 1918, aged 29, at Kemmel during the German Spring Offensive.

The Battalion diary entry for the day gives an insight into the events of the day.

29 April 1918

A 3 a.m. the Enemy opened up a very heavy Bombardment of High explosive and Gas shells on our covering Artillery and at 6 a.m.. launched a powerful attack , smothering our outpost line, but failing to pierce the Battalion front, being repulsed with heavy loss. At 8 a.m. the Enemy again attacked but was repulsed. Many Casualties were caused to him during the day, as numbers of the enemy were picked off as they endeavoured to get back to their own lines.

Casualties were Capt E B Hough Killed, 2nd Lt W. Munro Killed and 12 Other Ranks Killed, 28 Wounded and 13 Other Ranks missing"

George now rests at Voormezeele Cemetery Enc No 3, Belgium.

The Voormizeele Enclosures (at one time there were a total of four, but now reduced to three) were originally regimental groups of graves, begun very early in the First World War and gradually increased until the village and the cemeteries were captured by the Germans after very heavy fighting on 29 April 1918.

Voormezeele Enclosure No.3, the largest of these burial grounds, was begun by the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in February 1915. Their graves are in Plot III, the other Plots from I to IX are the work of other units, or pairs of units, and include a few graves of October 1918. Plots X and XII are of a more general character. Plots XIII to XVI were made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from isolated sites and smaller cemeteries to replace the French graves (of April and September 1918) that were removed to a French cemetery. These concentrated graves cover the months from January 1915 to October 1918, and they include those of many men of the 15th Hampshires and other units who recaptured this ground early in September 1918.

There are now 1,611 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in Voormezeele Enclosure No.3. 609 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 15 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of five casualties whose graves in PHEASANT WOOD CEMETERY could not be found on concentration.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on 17th May 1918:

ROLL OF HONOUR

Killed In Action

WILLIAMS - April 29, killed in action, Co. Sgt.-major Geo. H. Williams, K.L.R., the youngest son of Thos. and Mary A. Williams, 28 Brookland Road, Stoneycroft, Liverpool.

His death was also reported in the Herne Bay Press on 01st June 1918:

DEATHS

WILLIAMS - Killed in action, Company Sergt. Major George H. Williams, King's (Liverpool Regiment).

George was also reported killed in the Weekly Casualty List 18th June 1918:

King's (Liverpool Regiment) - Williams 50991 Act. Co.-Sjt-Maj. G.H. (Herne Bay);

He is commemorated in the Hall of Remembrance inside Liverpool Town Hall on Panel 34.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to widow Kathleen G., of the Post Office, Herne Bay.

His widow Kathleen remarried in 1929 to Charles Frederick Reed and had a daughter Margaret Goulden in 1931.

She appears on the 1939 register as a sub-post mistress in Beltinge, Kent.

She died in 1974 aged 85.

His parents Thomas and Mary Ann drop off the electoral roll at 28 Brookland Road around 1930.

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

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