George Bonser Heathcote
- Family History
- Military History
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Son of Edward and Harriett Heathcote. He had five sisters, Bertha, Florence, Annie, Doris(?) and Jessie, and two brothers, Edward (known as 'Ted') and Charles. At the time of the 1911 census, Harriett and her five daughters were living at 20 Goodall Street, Nottingham; her husband, Edward, was a lodger at 21 Lurgan Street, Hammersmith, and employed as a hall porter, and their three sons had left home. All three brothers died in the war; Pte Charles Bonser Heathcote (served as 'Bonser'), North Staffordshire Rgt, died 13 October 1914 and Pte Edward Heathcote, 20th Sqnd MGC (Cavalry) died 29 November 1917.
Army Service Record survives. Enlisted Leicester, attested 7 September 1914, age 27y10m (born abt. 1887). He was residing in Hammersmith, Middlesex. at the time he enlisted. Home service 7 September to 1 March 1915. Appointed Lance Corporal 18 February 1915. Served in France from 2 March 1915. He is buried in the Packhorse Farm Shrine Cemetery.
George's personal effects were returned to his mother, his named next of kin, in November 1915, at which time she was living at 4 Lurgan Street, Great Church Lane, Hammersmith, London. However, in 1920 the military had some difficulty in tracing his mother, who was entitled to the scroll marking his military service. After various enquiries it transpired that she had moved from Hammersmith on 3 April 1917 to live with her daughter, Mrs Walters at 2 Thurman Terrace, Thurman Street, Nottingham. Letters to this address were returned and eventually she was traced to 38 Cromwell Street, Nottingham, where she was living with three of her daughters, Annie, Doris and Jessie. Her other two daughters were married; Bertha Walters, 59 Sherwood Street, Nottingham, and Florence (?Insall) at 7 Cathcart Hill, Nottingham. War obituary, All Saints Church News, September 1919: 'Charles Bonser Heathcote, Private North Staffordshire Regiment; killed in action in France; October 13th 1914; aged 24; and George Bonser Heathcote, Corporal Leicestershire Regiment, killed in action in France, May 1st 1915, aged 28. Mrs Heathcote’s other son, Edward Heathcote was killed in the Holy Land [29 November 1917], and his obituary notice appeared in our issue for March 1918.' War obituary, All Saints Church News, March 1918: 'We tender our most deep sympathy to Mrs Heathcote on the death of her third and last son. Her two other sons were killed in action earlier in the war. The late Edward Heathcote was in the Machine Gun Corps. He was killed in action on November 29th 1917 in the Holy Land, age 28. Enlisted in 1914, being a trooper in the South Notts Hussars. He fought in France and elsewhere.' All three brothers are commemorated on All Saints parish memorial Nottingham Post obituary (abridged), 17 May 1915: 'Heathcote. Corporal George R Heathcote, 1st Leicestershire Regiment, killed in action, May 1st aged 28 years. His brother, Charles Heathcote, was killed in action last October. Mother, sister, brother Ted.'
