George Whalley

He enlisted on 20th May 1915 at Nottingham and was posted to the Royal Scots Fuiliers and joined them at Ayr on 26th May 1915. He landed in France on 12th October 1915 with 6th Battalion but returned to England on 17th November 1915, possibly after falling ill (no wounds are recorded). Heading out again on 7th March 1916, posted to 2nd Battalion, he was reported missing, later presumed killed in action on 30th July 1916. Having no known grave his name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

George Whalley was one of two young men who were convicted of drunken and violent behaviour on 23rd November 1914. The magistrate advised him to join up. Nottingham Evening Post on 23rd November 1914: 'DISGRACE TO THEIR COUNTRY. MAGISTRATE’S OPINION OF TWO NOTTINGHAM YOUTHS. You are a disgrace to your country. Why don’t you enlist?” said the Chairman (Mr. J. T. Spalding) at the Nottingham Guildhall to-day [23rd November 1914] to George Whalley, 22, hosiery trimmer, of Bailey-street, and Frank Swift, 17, plumber, of Whitemoor-road, who were charged with being drunk and disorderly and with damaging a window value 7s. 6d. Evidence was given to show that shortly before the youths were arrested by P.C. Pitchfork on Saturday night they had been turned out of the Fox and Owl public-house, Parliament-street, by the landlord, who feared a free fight in his tap-room. When ejected they were engaged in a heated argument with several others on the subject of football, and only a minute after their departure the window was smashed.'