Rifleman George Cole
| Date of Birth | C.1880 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 38 |
| Date of Death | 21 March 1918 |
| Service Number | 375197 |
| Military Service | 8th Battalion, London Regiment (Post Office Rifles) |
| Merton Address | 88 Coronation Cottages, Mitcham |
| Local Memorial | Mitcham War Memorial |
Additional Information
George was born in Mitcham in 1880, and baptised soon after on 5th April at St Peter & St Paul Church. His parents were Harriett and James Cole - a Leather Dresser. The family was a large one, and on the 1881 Census his older siblings were recorded as, Robert 15, Harriet 14, Henry12, Frederick 10, Alice 8, Charles 6, Belinda 4, and Albert aged 2. George was aged 1 at the time and the family were living at The Causeway, Mitcham (now called Cricket Green).
There is no record of the following census in 1891, but by the time of the 1901 Census, the family were still living at Lower Green East (formerly called the Causeway). Most of the children had left home, but Alice, Albert and a younger sister May, were still at home. George was employed as a General Labourer. His parents had eleven children in total, but unfortunately, two of them had died.
On 16 April 1902 George married Ethel Maud Armitage at St Peter & St Paul Church nearby. The couple soon had their first child Frederick who was born later that year. In 1904 their second child Leonard was born, followed by Elsie Maud in 1906. By the time of the 1911 Census the family had moved to London Road, Mitcham. Sadly Ethel had died in 1907 and George was now a widower. His sister Alice now lived with the young family acting as a Housekeeper. George was a General Labourer working for a Floorcloth Manufacturer.
During World War One, George joined the 8th London Regiment (Post Office Rifles). He enlisted in 1914, and the battalion arrived in France in March 1915. The Post Office Rifles served with distinction during the War, and would have seen action on the Somme and at Passchendaele (Third Ypres) suffering tremendous losses. More than half of their fighting force was lost at the Battle of Wurst Farm Ridge in September 1917. They lost 1,800 and 4,500 men were wounded by the end of the War.
During the Battle of St Quentin (21–23 March 1918) George was killed in action on the first day of the battle. His body was never found, so he has no known grave. He is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, France and locally on the Mitcham War Memorial.
George’s daughter Elsie and his sister Alice are recorded as living at Lower Green on the 1939 Register. Elsie died in 1955, while her two brothers Frederick and Leonard both died in 1989.