Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of John Wakefield, an engine driver and wheelwright, born on the 6th August 1854 in Ryhall, Rutland (son of James Wakefield, 1827-1896 and Rebbecca Cooling, 1828) and his wife Susan Wakefield (nee Chappell, married on the 3rd November 1881 in the Church of St. Peter & St. Paul, Great Casterton, Rutland), born on the 14th April 1857 in Great Casterton (daughter of Henry Chappell, 1833 and Sarah Wright, 1827). George, a schoolboy, was born on the 3rd May 1893 in Great Casterton, his siblings were, John Henry, a blacksmith, born in the January quarter of 1884 in Greetham, Rutland and Robert Charles, a schoolboy, born in the October quarter of 1888 in Great Casterton, in March 1904 the family home was at Great Casterton.
In April 1911 George was employed as a farm labourer and was residing in the family home at Great Casterton, together with his father, a small holder, his mother and brother Robert, a farm labourer.
FAMILY NOTES: George also had another sibling, Clara Elizabeth, born in the January quarter of 1886 in Great Casterton.
George’s army service enlistment documents do not survive, therefore the currently available information pertaining to his military service has been obtained from the following sources: - 1921 HMSO Publication, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914 - 1919, WW1 Service Medal and Award Rolls, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards, WW1 Pension Ledgers and Index Cards and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Registers.
Enlisted/Attested in Stamford, Lincolnshire Regular Army. 8/9/14.
Joined. At place and date not known.
Posted. To Depot Lincolnshire Regt. Pte. Date not known.
Allotted the Regimental Service number 12926.
Posted. To 7th (Service) Bn. Lincolnshire Regt. Date not known.
First entered the theatre of war in France. 14/7/15.
Promoted. To Lance Corporal. Date not known.
Promoted. To Corporal. Date not known.
Transferred. To 9th (Service) Bn. Lincolnshire Regt. Date not known.
Transferred. To 1st Bn. Lincolnshire Regt. Date not known.
Transferred. To 2/5th (Territorial Force) Bn. Lincolnshire Regt. Cpl. Date not known.
Allocated to “A” Company, 3 Platoon.
Missing in action. In the Field. 21/3/18.
Presumed for official purposes to have died on or since 21/3/18.
Body not recovered. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France.
Awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In the event of his death, George nominated his father, John as his sole legatee.
The War Diary records: 21 - 26 Mar-18 – See special account of operations during the period attached.
An account of the part taken by the 2/5th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment in the German Offensive commencing on 21st March 1918.
Ref. Special Map attached.
21.3.18. MORY. 4.00am. – On the 21st March 1918 the Battalion was part of the Brigade in Reserve to the 59th Division and was in camp at MORY.
Intermittent gunfire throughout the night increasing in violence till about 4.00am, there was no doubt that something was happening on the front line. Battalion was ordered to “Stand To” and shortly afterwards orders to that effect were received from 177th Brigade.
7.00am. At 7.00am the Battalion was ordered to advance at once to the assembly position in B.24.a. The move was completed and the Battalion formed up in artillery formation by 7.36am.
8.50am. Patrols were sent out at 8.50am under 2nd Lieutenants E. A. DENNIS and F. SHARPE along ECOUST SPUR and Track to VRAUCOURT COPSE respectively. These patrols reported heavy shelling of ECOUST and on firing and support lines of 3rd System. Also, a Gunner of 178th Brigade informed them that no enemy infantry attack had developed by 9.00am in the front system.
12.00 Noon. At 12 Noon the Battalion was ordered to advance and occupy the support trench of the First Battle System in C.9. The 4th LEICESTERSHIRE REGIMENT was to be on our left. The Battalion advanced along Track 3 until through the wire of the 2nd Battle System and there extended into artillery formation. “A” Company on right leading roughly along the NOREUIL SWITCH, “B,” “C” and “D” Companies extending to the left, Battalion Headquarters being 200 yards in rear.
On Battalion Headquarters passing the wire of the firing line 3rd System it was noticed that the Companies were apparently easing too much to the right and orders were about to be sent to rectify this. During the whole of the advance the Battalion was under heavy artillery and Machine Gun fire. Several Officers were wounded including 2nd Lieutenants R. GEEDES, F. B. SMITH and G. TAYLOR and Regimental Sergeant Major W. COLDWELL.
When Battalion Headquarters arrived about C.14.b. central the cause of the Companies drawing to the right was apparent. Large masses of enemy were seen streaming over the ridge to the South East of LONGATTE and they were already in possession of our objective. Seeing this it appears that the Company Commanders decided that the best thing to do was to man the NOREUIL SWITCH and thus outflank the enemy. The Commanding Officer decided to also man the NOREUIL SWITCH with Battalion Headquarters and 2 platoons of “D” Company which were a little behind the front line in C.14.b.
12.20pm. An Officer patrol under 2nd Lieutenant R. E. CREASEY was sent along the NOREUIL SWITCH to get in touch with the remainder of the Battalion. He had not gone far when he met parties of the enemy in between Battalion Headquarters and the Companies in front. He and most of the patrol were wounded. At this time, it was observed that large bodies of enemy troops were advancing from NOREUIL up the HIRONDELLE VALLEY and on the spur beyond. Seeing this the Commanding Officer decided to man the firing line of the 3rd System in C.14.c. Owing to the shape of the ground it was impossible to see what was happening to the rest of the Battalion. A patrol was sent out under Sergeant WHATMOUGH along the NOREUIL SWITCH to try to find the position of the Companies in front and to establish the enemy’s dispositions. The patrol could not proceed as they met large enemy parties, and neither could they see anything of the Companies in front.
12.15pm. On arriving at the firing line of the 3rd System it was found that the 4th LINCOLNSHIRE REGIMENT were holding it to our left but there was a considerable gap which was closed with the few troops available. Major G. H. DEANE of the 4th LINCOLNSHIRE REGIMENT came over and reported the situation and dispositions of his unit. No information was received as to the position of the 2/4th LEICESTERSHIRE REGIMENT.
The enemy in the meantime appeared to be moving in large numbers across our front from right to left and getting into the valley in C.14.a and b. These were engaged by our 2 remaining Lewis Guns and with rifle fire. They reached the wire in front of us but were beaten off.
Major H. WARD was sent off to the left to get to know the location of the 4th LEICESTERSHIRE REGIMENT. He was unfortunately killed in so doing.
3.00pm. At this time Sergeant GARNHAM, who was commanding the extreme right platoon about the junction of the NOREUIL SWITCH with the firing line 3rd System, reported the presence of the enemy in considerable numbers in VRAUCOURT COPSE. He states that his Lewis Gun and rifle fire did considerable execution. A message was sent to Brigade Headquarters to inform artillery.
3.15pm. It was now decided to move Battalion Headquarters from the firing line to the support line. It moved along the firing line of the 3rd System until the ECOUST – BEUNATRE road at which point the Officer Commanding 4th LEICESTERSHIRE REGIMENT was met who gave the situation on the left flank. Battalion Headquarters moved down the road towards support line 3rd System and met Officer Commanding 4th LINCOLNSHIRE REGIMENT about B.24.b.8.6 and it was agreed to form a joint Battalion Headquarters at C.19.a.3.5.
5.00pm. A patrol was sent out under Sergeant WHATMOUGH to creep along the HIRONDELLE VALLEY. Patrol reported that it could not proceed beyond C.20.a.7.7 owing to heavy Machine Gun and rifle fire from VRAUCOURT COPSE.
Captain L. M. WEBBER R.A.M.C. (T), Medical Officer i/c Battalion had established his aid post on the front line at the beginning of the battle. This was necessary as there was no chance of casualties reaching him until dark if the aid post had been further back, and many of the wounded, Officers and men were in need of more attention than could be given by stretcher bearers. He carried out his duties in a most gallant manner until he himself was severely wounded.
5.20pm. At this time, it appears that our right flank was in danger of being turned and troops were asked for to fill up the gap between our right and the left of the 6th Division on our right. A Pioneer Battalion, 6/7th ROYAL SCOTS FUSILIERS was sent up for this purpose.
8.00pm. Orders were received that the Brigade would be relieved in the front line by the 14th ARGYLE & SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS and HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY so that the 177th Brigade would occupy the support line of the 3rd System. 4th LINCOLNSHIRE REGIMENT on right, 5th LINCOLNSHIRE REGIMENT centre and 4th LEICESTERSHIRE REGIMENT on the left.
On Friday 21st, July 1916, The Lincoln, Rutland and Stamford Mercury published the following article on page 2, under the heading. – GREAT CASTERTON. – WOUNDED. – News has been received that priv. Edward Taylor and lance-corp. G. Wakefield, both of the Lincs. Regt., have been wounded, the former for the second time.
A biography reproduced from the 1920 publication, Rutland & the Great War, compiled by G. Phillips records the following:
Son of Mr. and Mrs. John Wakefield, Great Casterton, born on the 3rd May 1894, was with his father on a small holding before enlisting on September 8th, 1914, in the 7th Lincolnshire Regt. He proceeded to France about March 1915, was wounded on the Somme, and met with his death during the great German attack, on March 21st, 1918, receiving a bullet through the head. A comrade in a letter to the Rev. J. Scott Ramsey, wrote: - “I was wounded myself at the time. I happened to be in the same trench as him when I was hit. After I had laid where I was wounded for some time, I managed to crawl a little further along the trench in search of water for myself and a comrade who was also wounded. The first one I saw was Corp. Wakefield lying dead in the bottom of the trench, having been shot through the head. I saw he was quite dead, as I tried to move him, but got no answer, so I took his water-bottle which happened to be full and crawled back to my comrade as best I would.”
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