George Harold Greaves
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
George Harold was born in 1894 the son of George Thomas Greaves an assistant overseerr and the lMary Ann Greaves née Lacey of 25 Dunlop Avenue Lenton Nottingham. His father was born in 1868 at Arnold and his mother in 1869 at Nottingham. They were married in Nottingham on 24th October 1891 and had a daughter Florence Mary b.1893 in Lenton. His mother died in Nottingham on 5th March 1903 aged 34. George Thomas married Alice Hannah Mattocks in 1904. George and Alice had three children Bernard William b.1905, Albert Ernest b.1908 and Reginald b.1912 all born Nottingham. In 1911 the family was living at 254 Alfreton Road Nottingham. George Harold was married to Hilda Annie Woolard in 1916 in Nottingham they lived at 162 Derby Road.
George Harold Greaves joined the University O.T.C. He received his commission in August 1916 and served with the 2nd Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment. His battalion war diary for 5/3/1917 records a brief note as to the circumstances: “2 Lieut. G. H. GREAVES was killed by shell fire last night.” He is buried in Fins New British Cemetery, Sorel Le Grand, France grave reference VII E 5
An obituary published in the Nottingham Evening Post dated 12th March 1917 :- “Lieut. George Greaves, of the West Yorkshire Regiment, killed in action was a son of an official in the Nottingham Corporation Water Department. He was educated at High Pavement School, joined the University O.T.C. under Captain Trotman, and went out to France. A pathetic coincidence is that he married only last autumn to Miss Hilda Woolard, of Derby-road.” Further obituaries published in the Nottingham Evening Posted dated 5th March 1918 :- “GREAVES. – In loving memory of Second-Lieut. George Harold Greaves, beloved husband of Hilda Annie Greaves (nee Woolard), who was killed in action March 5th, 1917. Thy will be done.“GREAVES. – In loving memory of Second-Lieut. George Harold Greaves, West Yorkshire Regiment, killed in action March 5th, 1917. - From father, mother, sisters, and brothers.” Above obituaries courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918.
