George Israel Hardy
He was a factory errand boy in 1939.
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
George Israel was the son of Harold Arthur Hardy and his second wife Doris (née Munton).
His father was born in Nottingham, birth registered 1887 (JFM), the son of Thomas and Martha Hardy; he was baptised at Nottingham St Ann on 28 November 1887. Harold married Ethel Hodges at Nottingham St Bartholomew on 21 September 1910 and they had six children: Hilda Martha (1911), Winifred Alice (1912), Francis Harold (1914), Herbert Thomas (1915), Leonard A (1919) and Ethel D (1921 JFM d. 1921 JFM).
In 1911 Harold, a printer (printers and stationers) and his wife Ethel, a hosiery machinist, were living at 11 Moreland Grove, Moreland Street, Meadow Lane. They were still at the same address in 1915 when Harold attested in the Army (see 'Extra information). Their fifth and sixth children, Leonard and Ethel, were born after Harold's discharge from the Army. The youngest child Ethel died shortly after her birth in 1921 and her mother Ethel died in the same period (JFM).
The widowed Harold, now employed as a litho printer for Priestley & Swann of Stoney Street Nottingham, was living at 1 Moreland Grove in 1921 in the home of his sister, Edith Hardy, a lace jennier and finisher. Also in the household was their widowed mother, Martha (74) and Harold's five surviving children.
Harold married Doris Munton (b. 1902) at Nottingham St Ann on 3 June 1922. Harold was living at 33 Peas Hill Road and Doris at 8 Meredith Street; Doris signed the register with her mark. They had at least three children: Harold H (1923), George Israel (4 February 1925) and Thomas J (1928). An 'In Memoriam' notice in a local paper in 1946, mentions George's 'sister and brothers'; he had two half-sisters but it is more likely this refers to a 'full blood' sister for whom no record has yet been traced.
In 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled, Harold, who was still employed as a lithographic printer, and his wife Doris, who was described on the Register as 'blind', were living at 40 Peas Hill Road, St Ann's. Also in the household were Francis, Harold's son by his first marriage, who was a bricklayers' labourer, his younger sons by Doris, Harold, a tailor's salesman, and George, who was a factory errand boy, and also Eliza E Edson (b. 1919) single, a lace dresser. The records of two members of the household remain closed and may have been that of their youngest son Thomas and perhaps another child [daughter].
George Isacc married Lilian {Lily] Radford in 1944 (reg. JAS Nottm). No other details of his marriage or his wife have yet been traced and only George's parents are named on the CWGC record.
Harold died in 1949 aged 62; he was survived by his wife Doris who probably died in 1980. George's brother Harold died in 2004 and Thomas John in 2019.
George Israel Hardy joined the Royal Navy and at the time of his death was serving in HMLCT 2487 (Acting Able Seaman).
HMLCT 2487 (Landing Craft Tank) was an LCT (Mk5) class built by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation and commissions in 1942. HMLCT 2487 had been carried by HMLST199 (Landing Ship Tank) in convoy from Plymouth to Calcutta Docks (now Kolkata in West Bengal).
There is sparse information available about the history of individual LCTs but a Stoker who served in HMLST199 and contributed to a 'people's history' of WW2, recalled that after reaching India, they were 'landing troops along the Burmese coastline until August 1945'. (The surrender of Japanese Forces was announced on 15 August.) LCT2487 may have been involved in these operations.
George died from heatstroke on 22 May 1945 at Clough Memorial Hospital, Ongole, Guntur District, India. A newspaper report of his death said that George had died while on leave. He is buried in Madras War Cemetery, Chennai (grave ref. 4.B.11).
CWGC History of the Madras War Cemetery (extract): The Cemetery was 'created to receive Second World War graves from many civil and cantonment cemeteries in the south and east of India where their permanent maintenance could not be assured.' (www.cwgc.org)
George's father, Harold, served in the Great War. He was already married and had four children, Hilda, Winifred, Francis and Herbert; a fifth child, Leonard, was born in 1920 and a daughter, Ethel, in 1921. Harold attested on 30 January 1915 and was posted to the Sherwood Foresters, joining at Derby the same day. He was posted to BEF France on 23 May 1916 where he was transferred to the Machine Gun Corps (72850) in January 1917 and posted to 71 Company. Harold was wounded in action on 25 April 1917 and admitted to No. 32 Stationary Hospital suffering from shrapnel wounds to the neck, face and wrist, and was then probably transferred to hospital at Wimereux. The following year he was reported missing in the field on 22 March and through the Geneva Red Cross it was later confirmed that Harold was a prisoner of war. He was repatriated after the Armistice and arrived in England on 4 December 1918. He was posted to the 6th Reserve Battalion on 10 February 1919 then discharged home (11 Moreland Grove) from the Dispersal Unit at Clipstone on 18 February.
CWGC George Israel. Additional information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. H. Hardy, of Nottingham.
CWGC headstone personal inscription: 'Happy and smiling wherever he went. He died so young as everyone's friend'
Nottingham Evening Post, 29 May 1945. Photograph with caption, ‘ AB GI Hardy, son of Mrs H Hardy, of 40 Peas Hill-road, Nottingham, who is reported to have died whilst on leave in India.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Deaths’, 2 June 1945: ‘Hardy. May 22nd, in India, George I., Royal Navy, beloved husband of Lily. Will never be forgotten by broken-hearted wife, mother and father-in-law.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Marriage: George I Hardy to Lilian Radford 1944 JAS Nottm
Nottingham Evening Post, ‘In Memoriam’, 22 May 1946: ‘Hardy. George I., Royal Navy, May 22nd, 1945. Your life was short, your pleasures few, but precious are the memories, dear son, of you. Mam, dad, sister and brothers.’ (www.britishnewspapersarchive.co.uk)
Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Deaths’, 20 December 1949: ‘Hardy. December 19th, Harold. At home. Peacefully sleeping after long suffering. Wife Doris and family. Service, Thursday, Emmanuel Church, 3pm, Wilford Hill 3.30pm’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
George Israel Hardy
Nottingham Evening Post 29/5/1945
Photo of George Israel Hardy
Buried in Madras War Cemetery, Chennai. (www.cwgc.org)