George Arthur Gimson
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
George Arthur Gimson was born in 1899 the second son of Arthur Edward a general labourer and Annie Adelaide Gimson (née Dobson). His father Arthur Edward was born in Leicester on 8 November 1867 (reg. J/F/M 1868), the son of William Henry and Mary Ann Grimson. His parents were also born in Leicester, but moved to Nottingham where Arthur was baptised at Sneinton St Stephen on 20 February 1871. At the time of the 1871 Census, William and Mary were living on Hermit Street, Sneinton, Nottingham, with Arthur (4), his older brother (b. Leicester) and a younger brother who was born in Sneinton. His mother Annie Adelaide was born in Nottingham in 1866, the daughter of James and Sarah Ann Dobson. In 1881 when Annie was 14 years old, she was working as a tailor's machinist. Arthur and Annie were married at Nottingham St Ann on 18 July 1892 and had six children one of whom died in infancy: Alfred Dobson b. Nottingham 7 February 1893; Ruth Alice (Alice) b. Nottingham 1895; George Arthur b. Nottingham birth registered 1899 (J/F/M); Ethel Gertrude b. Chilwell birth registered 1901 (J/F/M Shardlow) d. 1901 (J/A/S Basford); Joseph Albert b. Beeston 22 January 1904 and Annie Adelaide b. Beeston birth registered 1907 (J/F/M). In 1901 the famiy was living on High Road, Chilwell: Arthur (32) a wood carver, Annie (35), Alfred (8), Alice (6), George (2) and Ethel (3 months) who died later that year. They later lived at 6 The Poplars, off Wollaton Road, Beeston, but by 1911 Arthur and Annie had moved to 13 Regent Street, Beeston. Arthur was now working as a general labourer. In the home on the night of the census were four of the five surviving children: Alice who was working for a Swiss embroidery manufacturer, George, Albert (7) and Annie (4). Arthur had also included, then deleted, the name of his eldest son, Alfred (18) who was a soldier in the Royal Horse Artillery. Although Alfred has not yet been traced on the 1911 Census it does suggest that he was a regular soldier and serving with his unit in 1911. At the time of George's death in 1916 his parents were living at 198 Queen's Road, Beeston, and this was the address given on the later CWGC record. However, two of their children moved to Wigan, Lancashire, probably after the war, and Annie died there on 2 April 1934 and was buried in Hindley Cemetery, Wigan. Her husband Arthur Edward was living their married son Joseph in Wigan in 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled and died in Wigan on 26 January 1944. He too was buried in Hindley Cemetery. Of George's four surviving siblings: Alfred Dobson may have served as 99847 Gunner Royal Horse Artillery in the war. He married Beatrice Hingley (b. 9 August 1897) in 1919 and they had one child, Olga M (b. 7 September 1920). In 1939, Alfred, 'radial arm' duties, Beatrice a forewoman underwear machinist, and their married daughter Olga Hepburn (m. 1938), a ladies underwear machinist, and her husband William (b. 19 February 1910) instrument adjuster, were living on Humber Road, Beeston. Alfred died on 4 December 1958 and was buried in Attenborough St Mary's churchyard. Ruth Alice married James W Howieson (b. 26 February 1891) in 1912. In 1939 they were living on Orrell Road, Orrell, Lancashire, with their two children William E. (b. 1913) a patternmaker (wood) and Marjorie Kathlyn (b. 16 November 1914) a telephonist for the GPO (Wigan); James was a Labour Exchange manager. Ruth Alice died in 1966 (reg. Wigan). Joseph Albert married Lillian K Karn (b. 4 November 1903) in 1923 (reg. Windsor, Berkshire). They had four children: Joseph (b. 1923 d. 1923 reg Basford), Stella (b. 24 July 1926 reg. Kingston Surrey), Eugene M. (b. Wigan 1937) and Lorna M. (b. Wigan 1939). In 1939 Joseph and Lilian were living on Winley Road, Wigan; Joseph was Superintendant (-) to the Wigan and District Deaf and Dumb Society (formerly a foreman carpenter and joiner) and was also an ARP warden. Also in the home were Stella and Joseph's widowed father, Arthur Edward, a retired iron moulder, who died in 1944. The records of two other members of the household remain closed but were probably those of their children Eugene and Lorna. Joseph died in 1971 (reg. Brighton Sussex). Annie Adelaide married Lewis Dunn at Beeston St John the Baptist on 9 October 1926. In 1939 she was living in Carlton. Annie probably died in 1989 (registered Surrey North-West).
George Arthur Gimson enlisted on 27th August 1914 at Nottingham into 4th Bn Sherwood Foresters (aged 15) giving his age as 17 yrs and 233 days. He was discharged on 23rd February 1915 as not likely to become an efficient soldier. George's career was marked by numerous offences eg. absent from roll call and parade, not complying with an order, leaving detention camp and remaining absent until apprehended by the civil police (in Beeston), all of which resulted in sentences including Field Punishment No. 2, confined to barracks and detention. He later successfully re-enlisted under the false name of George Henry Clarke, the name under which he is recorded on CWGC, and was posted to the 3rd Bn Sherwood Foresters later transferring to the 9th and then 10th Battalions. After training he was posted to Sunderland where he remained until being sent to the Dardanelles after the Suvla Bay landings in August 1915, remaining there until the Sherwoods were withdrawn to Egypt. He remained in Egypt until early 1916 before he left for France where he transferred to the 10th Service Battalion Sherwood Foresters on his arrival at the front. The battalion was brigaded together (51st Bde 17th Division) with 7th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, 7th Battalion Border Regiment and the 8th Battalion the South Staffordshire Regiment. They landed at Boulogne in the early morning of the 15th July 1916. Private Gimson had been on the Western Front less than a month when he was wounded in action during August on the Somme. The battalion was holding the line from Longueval to the north east of Delville Wood. Conditions within the wood - shell holes everywhere and dense root growth - made it impossible to dig trenches. The 10th Sherwood Foresters attacked the German positions just inside the wood in front of the 7th Border Regiment without success as the enemy had good support from machine guns in a corn field. However 'C' and 'D' Companies managed to establish posts on the left of the attack. Another attack was ordered at midnight but this attack was also unsuccessful. It was during this operation that Private Gimson was wounded and died the next day (9 August 1916), the youngest member of the 17th 'Nottingham' Beeston Company Boys Brigade to be killed during the Great War. Also killed in this attack was another Beeston Boys Brigade volunteer, Private Harold Lee. George Arthur is buried in Delville Wood Cemetery, Longueval, France (grave ref. XXXI.M.8). 'Delville Wood Cemetery was made after the Armistice, when graves were brought in from a few small cemeteries and isolated sites, and from the battlefields. Almost all of the burials date from July, August and September 1916.' (www.cwgc.org) George qualified for the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
CWGC Additional Information: 'Son of Arthur and Annie A. Gimson, of 198, Queen's Rd., Beeston, Notts.' Beeston Gazette and Echo, ‘Roll of Honour’, 2 September 1916: ‘Gimson. Killed in action on August 12th 1916. Private George Gimson aged 17 (sic). He has rendered the great sacrifice, and the memory of his duty nobly done will never fade. From his heartbroken mother, dad, brothers and sisters.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Beeston Gazette and Echo, 2 September 1916: ‘Private G Gimson Killed. Official notification has now been received concerning the death in action of Private George Gimson, of 198 Queen’s road, Beeston. In August 1914, he joined the 4th Sherwood, then being only 15 years of age, but he was discharged after a short time. He re-enlisted again, however, and was put in the 3rd Sherwoods, stationed at Sunderland. He was subsequently sent out to the 9th Battalion in the Dardanelles after the landing at Suvla Bay, and when the battalion was withdrawn, he went with them to Egypt, where he stayed until three months ago. He was then sent to France and was killed in action on August 12th. His brother [probably Alfred Grimson Driver RFA] also joined the army at the outset, and they have only met once since they went into training.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) WW1 Pension Ledgers: named his mother Annie Adelaide Gimson of Beeston
