Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Edmund Jesson, a boot manufacturer, born in the 2nd quarter of 1860 in Leicester and his wife Elizabeth Ann Jesson (nee Buxton, married in the 3rd quarter of 1886 in the Blaby, Leicestershire district), born in the 2nd quarter of 1859 in Castle Donington, Leicestershire. George William Edmund was born in the 3rd quarter of 1888 in Leicester, his siblings were Arthur Reginald, born on the 10th July 1890, Dora Ethel, bon on the 7th November 1896 and Cornelius Frederick, born on the 19th August 1895, all his siblings were born in Leicester, in March 1901 the family home was at 77, St. Michaels Avenue, Leicester. In April 1911 Edmund was employed as a shoe trade clicker and was residing in the family home at 13, Jermyn Street, Leicester, together with his father, a boot manufacturer, his mother and siblings, Arthur, a shoe trade stockroom worker, Dora and Cornelius, an office boy.
George’s Army enlistment documents do not survive, all that is known of his military service is that he enlisted into the Leicestershire Regiment as a Territorial, being allotted the service number 2895, and was posted as a Private to that Regiment’s Depot for training, subsequently being posted to the 1/4th Battalion. It was with this Battalion that he first entered the theatre of war at Havre on the 3rd March 1915. Nothing further is known of his military service until he was officially recorded as being killed in action on the 17th August 1915. His body was never recovered and he is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient in Belgium. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Allied Victory Medal.
The War Diary records: 17 Aug-15 - At 7.00am situation quiet. Wind North Westerly. At 1.30pm 47s shelled with crumps and shrapnel till 2.30pm and after from 3.15 to 4.00pm heavy lengthened range with shrapnel as far as 42a and 49. “Whizz banged” from 3.30 to 4.00pm. At 10.00pm gas slightly smelt throughout sector. Casualties, other ranks 1 man killed. F.A. 1 other rank.
On Friday, September, 3rd, 1915 The Leicester Daily Post published the following article under the heading. “LEICESTERSHIRE AND THE WAR.” – LOCAL CASUALTIES. – Official intimation has been received that Private G. W. E. JESSON (2895), of the First 4th Leicestershire Regiment was killed in action on August 17th. He enlisted on the outbreak of war and was one of the first draft of local Territorial’s that went to the front. He was 27 years of age and the eldest son of Mr. E. Jesson, of 13, Jermyn-street, Leicester. The deceased soldier was an Old Boy of Alderman Newton’s School.