Commonwealth War Graves

 A search of the Commonwealth War Grave website shows that 100 years ago today, on 9 July 1919, Private G H Tidridge died. He was in the 3rd Battalion King's Shropshire Light Infantry. Although he died after World War 1 had ended he is remembered by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission which commemorate all those who died during the war, plus those who died after the end of the war up to 26 September 1919.
 

Family of Private G. H. Tidridge

Private G H Tidridge’s full name was George Henry Joseph Robert Tidridge. He was the son of Edwin Alfred Tidridge (also referred to as Edward) and Hannah Mary Smith. Edwin and Hannah married at Fulham, St James in London on 10 July 1897. Edwin was a housepainter or decorator, originally from Romsey, Hampshire but then living in London and Hannah was from Bampton in Oxfordshire.

Edwin and Hannah’s first child, Gladys Tidridge, was born in March 1898 and died the same year. The next children were William Edward Tidridge born in 1899 (who lived until he was 56) and George Henry Joseph Robert Tidridge born on 1 July 1901 in Fulham. On 25 August 1901 William and Herbert were baptised in Bampton, Oxfordshire, Hannah’s home village. The fourth child, Herbert Tidridge, was born in 1904 and died aged 2. Tragedy struck the family when on 25 March 1908 44-year-old Edwin died leaving a pregnant Hannah with two young boys, William and George, to look after. Three months after Edwin’s death Alfred Dowdswell Tidridge was born and he died the following year. The births of the children were registered in either Fulham or Oxfordshire.

In July 1910 Hannah remarried Frederick Youngman in Islington. The 1911 census shows Hannah and Fred living together but without the two boys, William now aged 12 and George now aged 9. A search of the 1911 census shows George living in York Road, Hunstanton, Norfolk in a Boys' Home run by a widow Mrs Clara Adeline Beaumont aged 50. She was employed as Matron by the Church of England Waifs and Strays Society. The home was called St Christopher’s Home for Waifs and Strays. It had 11 rooms and 24 boys lived there. A picture of the home can be found at this link. On the same census brother William can be found in another boys’ home in Clyde House, Kingham Hill, Kingham, Chipping Norton.
 

World War 1

In 1914 when World War 1 broke out George was just 13 and elder brother William was 15. At some point, probably about 1917, William was either called up or voluntarily enlisted in the Machine Gun Corps. On 26 April 1918 William was listed as missing or wounded and his name appeared on the War Office Weekly Casualty list as missing on 25 June 1918. William spent the rest of the war in a prisoner of war camp. When his Victory Medal and British Medal were sent to him after the war he returned them.

It was 1 July 1919 when George was 18 and old enough to join the army, but it is believed that he lied about his age to join up, before this date. He joined the 3rd Battalion King's Shropshire Light Infantry, service number 46003. This was a training battalion during World War 1 with no overseas war service and they ended the war at Fermoy, County Cork, Republic of Ireland.
 

 George’s Death

 George was with the battalion in July 1919 at Fermoy, eight months after the war was over. He was taken ill and admitted to the Military Hospital in Fermoy on about 5 July 1919 and was found to be suffering from diphtheria. Diphtheria is a highly contagious and potentially fatal infection that can affect the nose and throat, and sometimes the skin. He was ill for 5 days and died on 9 July 1919 at The Military Hospital; he was just 18 years old. He is buried in Fermoy Military Cemetery and is remembered on the war memorial. This war memorial can be viewed at this link .

Army records show that his arrears of pay and a gratuity were sent to his mother Mrs Hannah M. Youngman, a total of £5 2s 3d.


So, 100 years on let us remember George, a young man who volunteered to serve his country and was then struck down by a deadly illness, a disease which today we are lucky enough to be immunised against.