Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Samuel Morris, a shoe maker, born 5th July 1841 in Great Easton, Leicestershire and his wife Mary Morris (nee Wright, married on the 19th January 1871 in Holy Trinity Church, Leicester), born 1846 in Bringhurst, Leicestershire. George was born in the 4th quarter of 1886 in Hallaton, Leicestershire, his siblings were, Thomas Henry, born 1873, Samuel, born 1877, Margaret, a schoolgirl, born 1882 and Annie, a schoolgirl, born 1884, all his siblings were born in Hallaton, in April 1891 the family home was at High Street, Hallaton. In the 2nd quarter of 1897 George’s father died aged 55 in the Uppingham, Rutland district. In the 1st quarter of 1901 George’s mother died aged 55 in the Uppingham, Rutland district. In March 1901 George was employed as a farm labourer and was residing as a boarder at the home of Eli and his wife Sarah E. Lount, in Hallaton. In April 1911 George was a serving soldier with the Leicestershire Regiment and was stationed at Fort Saint George, Madras, India. George also had an older sibling, Florence Mary, born 1875 in Hallaton. George’s father married Elizabeth Wright on the 19th March 1867 in St. Wilfrid’s Church, Kibworth Beauchamp, Leicestershire, Elizabeth, who was born in 1838 in Kibworth Harcourt, Leicestershire, died in the 1st quarter of 1870, aged 32 in Kibworth Harcourt, there was one child, Frederick James, born 29th April 1869 in Kibworth Harcourt.
George enlisted into the Army on a Short Service engagement of 3 years with the Colours and 9 years with the Reserve on the 2nd June 1904 in Leicester. He gave his place of birth as Evington, Leicester and his age as 18 years and 8 months, and his trade or calling as labourer. He expressed a wish to enlist into the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. He gave his brother Samuel Morris of 69, Orson Streeet, Evington, Leicester and his sister Florence Bird, as his next of kin. His medical examination recorded that he was 5 foot 6¼ inches in height, he weighed 135 pounds and had a chest measurement of between 34 and 37 inches. His complexion was described as fresh, his hair colour was brown and he had hazel eyes. It was noted he had the tattoos, G and several dots on his left arm and a cross and sword on his right arm. He was pronounced fit for Army service. He gave his religion as Church of England. His record of service began when he joined the Depot of the Leicestershire Regiment as a Private, service number 7355 on the 3/6/04. Transferred to the 2nd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment on the 15/10/04. Transferred to the 2nd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment on the 16/10/06. Transferred to the Army Reserve on the completion if his service. Mobilised on the 5/8/14. Tried by a Field General Court Martial at Portsmouth and sentenced to be imprisoned for one year with hard labour for “Mutiny.” on the 27/8/14. Unexpired portion of imprisonment remitted from the 20/9/14, date of embarkation for the Expeditionary Force. Auth. Staff Captain No.3 Sec. Portsmouth Defences. No. a/570/14 dated 18/9/14. Posted to the 1st Battalion Leicestershire Regiment on the 20/9/14. Forfeits 28 days pay for:- Losing by neglect his clothing, 20/3/15. Admitted to hospital suffering from influenza on the 26/3/15. Killed in action in the field, place not stated on the 25/6/15. A letter relating to George’s personal belongings was dispatched on the 24th October 1916 to Miss Hilda Lowe, 16, St. Bernard Street, Belgrave, Leicester. A further letter relating to the disposal of George’s memorial plaque and scroll was dispatched on the 14th April 1919 was addressed to Miss Hilda Lowe of Main Street, Old Humberstone, Leicester. George’s surviving service documents are in a very poor condition, and much of the detail relating to the period of time that he spent in the army, is either illegible or missing, hence the sparse overall description of his military and personal family history. George has given his place of birth as Evington, Leicester on enlistment, however no information is available to suggest that he was born in Leicester, his brothers and sisters were all born in Hallaton, and after the death of his parents who resided in Hallaton, he continued to work and reside in Hallaton, he also gave his brother Samuel and his married sister Florence as next of kin, and Samuel, a bricklayer’s labourer, in 1901 was in fact residing in the family home of his married sister at 25, Orson Street, Leicester as a boarder. But there seems to be no traceable connection with the Morris family to Evington in Leicester.
The War Diary records: 25 Jun-15 - VERLORENHOER ROAD – WIELTJE TRENCHES. (Fri) Intermittent shelling.
The War Diary records: 26 Jun-15 - VERLORENHOER ROAD – WIELTJE TRENCHES. (Sat) Intermittent shelling. 2 men killed, Captain WALLER and 1 man wounded.
On Thursday 15th July 1915 The Leicester Daily Post published the following article under the heading. “LEICESTERSHIRE AND THE WAR.” – FIRST LEICESTERS KILLED. A notification has been received that Pte. G. Morris, 1st Leicester’s, was killed in action on June 25th. Previous to the war he lived with Mr. and Mrs. Tuffell, 129, Mount-road.
On Friday July 23rd 1915 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “ROLL OF HONOUR.” – EIGHT “TIGERS” KILLED. The following casualties in the Leicestershire Regiment (1st Battalion), are reported from the Base under date 3rd July:- Abbott, 10175, Private G. S. Brownlow, 6058, Private A. Henry, 8856, Lance Corporal C. Horton, 7736, Private B. Morris, 7355, Private G. Smalley, 12064, Private J. T. W. Wale, 7291, Private J. Watts, 6663, Private C.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
George, son of Samuel Morris a shoemaker had a tough childhood surrounded by tragedy. His father died when he was eleven and his elder sister and mother in 1900 and 1901 respectively. He learnt early to look after himself. After a few years working as a farm labourer, his imagination possibly fired by the exploits of other Hallatonians who had served in the Boer War, on 2nd June 1904 he signed on in the Leicestershire Regiment for three years with the colours and nine years in the reserves, with the service number 7355. For those days, he obviously regarded himself as a bit of a “lad” as he already had tattoos on both arms. After basic training he was posted to 2nd Battalion and sent to India where life consisted mainly of garrison duty. He must have extended his regular service because he served six years in India returning to England at the end of 1912 and presumably after a period of leave he was posted to the 1st Battalion in Fermoy, Ireland. In the spring of 1914 he fathered a child by a Hilda Lowe of Old Humberstone but did not marry her. He was not a lucky man. His obligations with the colours were due to terminate on 5th August 1914 but the declaration of war put paid to that and he was recalled for extended service. He did not take kindly to this. He and fifteen refused to obey orders. George and the others were arrested, charged and court-martialled. They were found guilty of mutiny, a offence with the possibility of the death penalty. In the event he was sentenced to one year’s hard labour. . “Hard labour” was exactly what it said. A tough regime of hard physical work breaking rocks in a quarry all the while under the strictest of military discipline with endless kit inspections, additional drill with heavy pack and everything carried out at the double. It was designed to be extremely unpleasant and indeed it was. It soon occurred to the authorities that with the army crying out for men, that this was possibly not the best use of a trained man. So on 20th September 1914, the rest of his sentence was remitted and he embarked for France where he caught up with the 1st Battalion at Courcelles on the Western Front in support of the hard pressed British Expeditionary Force. He was in the thick of it straight away. Endless shelling, always on the move and later in the year the most awful weather, wet and very cold. This existence carried on into the first part of 1915. In June the Battalion was near Poperinghe. He was wounded and died on 25th June 1915. His body and temporary grave was lost in the subsequent shelling and total destruction of the ground and he is commemorated not only on Hallaton War Memorial but also Thiepval. The military with reluctance and after much letter writing, recognised Hilda Lowe as the recipient of his medals and plaque but refused to recognise her or his child for a pension.

Information (including photograph) kindly provided by Dennis Kenyon.