George Wouldhave (GE105)
Parents
George was born on 13th Jan 1886 and his birth
was registered at South Shields. His parents were Thomas (TH103) Wouldhave and
his wife Louisa formerly Blair (LO101). Thomas and Louisa married in Gateshead
in April 1869 and they lived in South Shields.
Thomas was born in Leeds in 1838, his father, Thomas (TH101), was a
cabinet maker. Thomas however did not follow the family tradition of cabinet
making but worked in the iron industry on the South Tyne. In the 1901 census, at the age of 63, he was
a church caretaker. His death is
registered in the first quarter of 1911, aged 73. Louisa was born in South Shields and died in
the fourth quarter of 1924.
Family
George (GE105) attended St Stephen’s Junior Boys School in South
Shields and is on the admissions records from 1891-1894. George’s older
brother, Frederick (Fred), was a labourer in the Shipyards in the 1901 census
and he joined the Royal Navy in 1903.
His role in WW1 was given in the blog of November 2016. Their older brother Arthur (born 1878) had
emigrated to the USA in 1906. Arthur’s
wife Clarissa was living with his family in Tyne Dock in the 1911 census (she
emigrated, joining her husband in 1912).
In the 1911 census, George’s occupation was given as Shore stoker in
stamping works.
In 1914 George married Elizabeth A M Scott. Their first child, George (GE106), was born in
1915. Their second son, James, died in infancy in 1918. Their only daughter,
Mary J (MA132) was born in 1920 and a second son, James Everett Voyce (JA117),
was born in 1922. Elizabeth died in South
Shields in 1933 aged 43 years.
War service
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| Trimmers and Firemen in the Engine Rooms |
George enlisted on 1st June 1915, aged 29
years, and gave his address as 26 West Walpole Street, South Shields. He was rated as Leading Trimmer RNR from 19th
August 1915. Trimmers were responsible for getting the coal to the Fireman or
Stokers in the Engine Room and for clearing out the ashes when the fire was
out. It was a physically demanding job,
working in hot and dirty conditions.
George first served on the HMS Duchess of Hamilton from
29th October 1915. The Duchess of Hamilton was a paddle steamer which
had been built and registered in Scotland in 1890. The ship was requisitioned
by the Royal Navy in March 1915 as part of the mine-sweeping force based in
Harwich on the East coast of England.
The ship was sunk by mines on 29th Nov 1915, off the Galloper
Lightship, near Harwich, with the loss of nine lives. (The Galloper is an area
of sea off East Anglia. It is presently the
site of construction of an offshore wind farm).
George survived the sinking of the Duchess of Hamilton
and received from the Admiralty “an expression of their Lordships appreciation
for his conduct”. George spent most of
the rest of his service on HMS The Duchess of Rothesay, another converted
paddle steamer operating out of Harwich, joining the ship on 17th
January 1916.
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| Duchess of Rothesay |
On 14th July 1917 George was awarded the Distinguished
Service Medal as one of the honours awarded by the King to the officers and men
in the Auxiliary Patrol for their “splendid heroism” as detailed in the London
Gazette Supplement. He was also commended
for his part in mine sweeping services on 1st January 1917. In the London Gazette of 17th November
1917 he was awarded the Bronze medal for Military Valour and conferred by
His Majesty the King of Italy. George was demobilised on 15th August
1919.
After the first world war
George was listed in the 1939 register at 26 West Walpole
Street, South Shields. He was a widower
living with his son James Everett. His
occupation was Electric Craneman. George died in South Shields aged 69 in 1955.
His son George (GE106) was living in Chertsey, Surrey, in
the electoral register of 1938. In the
1939 register his occupation was Aircraft Fitter. He died in 1982 in South Shields. Mary J married Christopher Grant in South
Shields in 1939. James Everett’s
occupation in the 1939 register was Apprentice Coach Painter. He died in South Shields in 1989.
