Pte 22956 George Colvin

• Age: 21
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Monday 3rd July 1916
• Commemorated at: Daours Cc Ext
  Panel Ref: II.B.33

22956 Private George COLVIN, 21 years, 20^th Battn KLR – DOW 03.07.1916.

CWGC describes George Colvin as the son of ”Elizabeth Gardner formerly Colvin” and records show that George was born on 20^th May 1895 and baptised in St Peter’s Liverpool on 1^st July that year, when his mother is named as Elizabeth Colvin but his father is unnamed. Elizabeth was said to be living in Park Street, Toxteth.

On the 1901 census the family are living at 35 Sussex St, Toxteth with the Conlan family. Mother Elizabeth is presented as Mrs Colvin aged 28, wife, married, with children George 6, Ada 3, and Elizabeth's widowed mother Adelina Colvin 77 b.Liverpool(sic).

Adelina's real name was Adelaide and is confirmed by the Electoral Roll at 3 Toxteth St, the address given on the baptism of Adeline in 1898.

Previous census records:-

On the 1881 census at 29 Clive St, Toxteth. Adelaide is 40 a charwoman b.Devonport, Elizabeth is 7, a scholar b.Liverpool.

On the 1891 census at 148 Henderson St, Toxteth with Elizabeth's married sister Emily Irvine. Adelaide is 60 b.Plymouth, Elizabeth is 17, a charwoman b.Liverpool.

George had twin step-brothers Charles and William Gardner, born on the 2nd May 1901 and baptised 14th May. Father, Arthur, a sailor, address 35 Sussex St, Toxteth. A further step-brother was born in 1908, shown as "Jhon" on service records, but was recorded as William in the March quarter of 1908 .

In 1911 Elizabeth, aged 38 years, a charwoman, is shown living at 13 Greta Street (off High Park Street) with her four children – George, 16 years and a grocer’s errand boy; Ada, 13 years , though shown as Ada on census forms, she was born Adeline on 06th February 1898; Charles 10 years; and William 3 years, all with the surname Colvin.

George enlisted with the 20th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 22956 on 14^th November 1914, giving his age as 19 years 5 months and his occupation as clerk. He was described as being 5' 6" tall, weighed 131lbs, with a 35" chest. He was of fresh complexion with grey eyes and ginger hair. His religion was stated as Church of England. His next of kin was his mother Elizabeth Gardner of 36 Upper Warwick Street, Toxteth. 

Formed in November 1914 the 20^th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29^th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 20th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

He sailed for France on 07^th November 1915.

On the opening day of the Battle of the Somme on 1^st July 1916 he was recorded as having been wounded in action. The following day at 96 Field Ambulance he was said to have sustained gunshot wounds to his thigh and back and at the 45th Casulaty Clearing Station the wounds were said to be to his left arm, right thigh and head.

He died in 45 CCS on 03^rd July 1916 and now rests at Daours Communal Cemetery Extension Section II Row B, Grave 33.

The preparations for the Somme offensive of July 1916 brought a group of casualty clearing stations (the 1st/1st South Midland, 21st, 34th, 45th and Lucknow, section "B") to Daours. The extension to the communal cemetery was opened and the first burials made in Plots I, II, Row A of Plot III and the Indian plot, between June and November 1916. The Allied advance in the spring of 1917 took the hospitals with it, and no further burials were made in the cemetery until April 1918, when the Germans recovered the ground they had lost. From April to the middle of August 1918, the extension was almost a front line cemetery. In August and September 1918, the casualty clearing stations came forward again (the 5th, 37th, 41st, 53rd, 55th and 61st) but in September, the cemetery was closed. There are now 1,231 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in Daours Communal Cemetery Extension. The total includes special memorials to four men of the Chinese labour corps whose graves in White Chateau Cemetery, Cachy, could not be located. The adjoining communal cemetery contains two First World War burials made before the extension was opened. The extension was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

In his service file is a letter from his mother, dated0 4^th August 1916, from 36 Upper Warwick Street, in which she says that although she had been notified on 11^th July that her son had died somewhere in France, she had “this morning received the enclosed (not in file) saying he is only wounded, her anxiety and hope are palapable in her words:

"I would be obliged if you would kindly let me know by return anything of his wounds and where he is, in which hospital…anxiously awaiting a reply”.

Sadly for Elizabeth the notes on his file suggest that the first notification she received was the report that he had been wounded “location at present unknown” and the follow-up letter arrived before the Army’s first notification.

He was reported as Died of Wounds in the Liverpool Daily Post on 21st August 1916:

King's(Liverpool Regt) - Colvin, 22956, G.(Liverpool). 

He was remembered by his family in the Liverpool Echo on 05th July 1917:

COLVIN - In sad but loving memory of my dear son George, who died of wounds received July 1.

Worthy of everlasting love

From those he left behind;

A better son never lived,

No one more true and kind. (Sadly missed by his sorrowing Mother, Sister and Brothers.)

Soldiers Effects and Pension to mother Elizabeth. Among those effects recovered from her son were sent to his mother in August 1916, included his wallet, letters, photos and his broken wrist watch.

In April 1919, Elizabeth completed a sworn declaration to identify his next of kin and again did not name his father and gave her children as Ada (George’s sister) and his three half-brothers, named as Charles (18 years), William (11 years) and John (7 years) all surnamed Gardner and all living with her at 36 Upper Warwick Street.

There was a problem with his three medals. In his file is a memo dated 10.03.1921 from the War Office to Infantry Records in Fulwood, in which it says “I am directed to inform you that as the soldier died intestate and of illegitimate birth, any medals received or may be received by you re: his services should be returned to this department for instructions.” On 13.11.1922, Elizabeth’s application for her son’s medals was received at Fulwood and was forwarded to the War Office under cover of a letter which read “I forward herewith an application from Mrs Colvin of 36 Upper Warwick Street, Liverpool for medals medals awarded in respect of the deceased soldier”. There is nothing on file to say whether she received them.

Electoral Roll for 1923 at 36 Upper Warwick Street is for Elizabeth Colvin and Arthur William Walters. The roll may be slightly out of date as they married on 24th December 1922, both widowed, address 36 Stopford Street, Toxteth. Elizabeth was 50, father George Colvin (deceased) a carpenter. Witnessed by her sister Emily Irvine (also her electoral address).

Elizabeth died in the December quarter of 1937 aged 66.

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