George Dowson

George Dowson The Dowson family lived in Worksop from 1891 to 1894 where the head of the household, George (senior) earned his living as a non domestic coachman. George (the younger) was the only boy of five children in the family which lived in Cleckheaton with George (the elder) having died in the early years of the new century. Young George joined the Territorial Force when he signed up for the 1st/4th Battalion of the Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment on 12 February 1914. At that time George was working for a Ralph Rogers of Cleckheaton as a joiner. He stood just under 5’ 7” high but was in good physical condition. The battalion went to France in April 1915 as part of the 147th Brigade and whilst undertaking a routine tour of duty in the trenches, Pte Dawson appears to have been ‘sniped’ as he received a serious gunshot wound in the head on 17 October 1915. He was moved through the aid post to the Casualty Clearing Station and then by train to No. 13 General Hospital at Boulogne where he died of his wounds on 25 November aged 21. George is buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery. Courtesy of Robert Illett

CWG additional information:- Son of Eliza Louisa Dowson, of 20, Howard Park, Cleckheaton, Yorks. and the late George Dowson