Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Edwin Dewick, a hawker, born 1857 in Derby and his wife Mary Dewick, born 1861 in Birmingham, Warwks. George Henry Dewick was born on the 3rd July 1888 in Walsall, Staffs., his siblings were, Ada, born 1896, Arthur, born 1899 and John, born 1900, all his siblings were born in Leicester, in March 1901 the family home was at Darley Cottage, 11, Humberstone Gate, Leicester. In the 2nd quarter of 1915, George married Elsie B. York in the Blaby, Leicestershire marriage registration district. In the 2nd quarter of 1920, George’s widow married Thomas Silverwood in the Blaby, Leicestershire marriage registration district, they resided at 38, Moat Street, Wigston Magna, Leics. George enlisted into the Royal Navy to serve a 5 + 7 year engagement on the 13th July 1906 and was allocated the service number SS/1482 in Portsmouth, Hants. His medical examination recorded that he was 5 foot 3¼ inches in height and had a chest measurement of 34¼ inches, his hair colour was light brown and his eyes were blue, his complexion was described as fair, it was noted that he had the following tattoos, crown, two swords, ribbon, lady’s head in frame on his left forearm, and crossed swords on the back of his left hand and two heads and a figure on his right forearm, he had a scar on his upper lip, he gave his trade or calling as house porter. His service record began when he joined HMS Victory I as an Ordinary Seaman on the 14/7/06 – 30/8/06. HMS Barfleur, 31/8/06 – 10/12/06. HMS Dreadnought, 11/12/06 – 23/3/09. HMS King Edward VII, 24/3/09 – 3/6/10, when he was promoted to Abel Bodied Seaman. HMS Victory I, 4/6/10 – 19/8/10, when he transferred as an Able Bodied Seaman, to service number J/9169 and joined HMS Victory I on the 25/8/10 – 10/9/10. HMS Excellent, 11/9/10 – 4/2/11. HMS Victory I, 5/2/11 – 13/2/11. HMS Blenheim, 14/2/11 – 25/2/12. HMS Victory I, 26/2/12 – 1/3/12. HMS Vernon, 2/3/12 – 19/3/12. HMS Gossamer, 20/3/12 – 31/7/12. HMS Vernon, 1/8/12 – 19/1/14. HMS Hecla (Shark), 20/1/14 – 31/5/16, when he was killed in action. The circumstances in which George lost his life are as follows. When Admiral Hood turned to the rescue of HMS Chester, his four destroyers were left on his port quarter, and they soon caught sight of the German cruisers running towards them south-east, half hidden by shell splashes. The division was led by Commander Loftus Jones in HMS Shark, the same intrepid officer who by his resolute dogging of Admiral von Ingenohl’s cruiser screen at dawn on the day of the Scarborough raid had caused the whole High Seas Fleet to turn back to its base. Seeing the excellent chance that had fallen to him, he led off to make the most of it, followed by HMS Acasta (Lieutenant-Commander J. O. Barron), HMS Ophelia (Commander L. G. E. Crabbe) - both officers had been with him in his previous exploit - and HMS Christopher (Lieutenant-Commander F. M. Kerr). As they approached they could see that ahead of the flying cruisers a number of enemy destroyers were evidently developing an attack on Admiral Hood, but as soon as the Germans were aware of HMS Shark’s direction they turned to protect Admiral Boedicker. A very hot engagement was the result. HMS Shark got off a torpedo at one of the cruisers, but she was quickly smothered with the fire of the squadron and its destroyers, and by the time Commander Jones knew he had frustrated the attack on Admiral Hood and had turned back, his boat was brought to a standstill. His old comrade, Lieutenant-Commander Barron, rushed up to take him in tow, but he would not hear of the HMS Acasta, which was also badly damaged, being sunk for him, and ordered her to leave him. At this moment Captain P. M. R. Royds in HMS Canterbury appeared coming up to the rescue from the southeast. By turning to the southward he enticed the cruisers to chase, and for a while HMS Shark was left in peace. Presently, however, more destroyers, which Admiral Hipper had ordered to attack Admiral Hood in order to cover his retirement, came up and poured in a merciless fire. In a moment HMS Shark’s after gun was hit, and its crew killed, and Commander Jones, who was himself controlling its fire, had a leg shot away at the knee. Yet he continued to encourage his men to fight the only gun he had left, when HMS Shark went down with her flag still flying.