Following the success of the WW1 Commemoration event at the Laverton, many local people are now trying to trace the history of family members who fought or died in the conflict.
One particular person is Mary Board, from Dilton Marsh who contacted the Westbury Family History Society WW1 Project to find the men who went to war and survived, regarding her husband’s grandfather George Henry Board.
George was born in 1892 at Shepton Mallet and in the 1911 census, aged 18, he was living in Nunney, nr Frome, working as a cow man. He was living at home with his parents, Arthur and Mary, and four of his nine siblings. It is not known when he moved to this area or if he was here at the outbreak of war.
Lynne Vercoe, on behalf of the Society said, “We do know he served as a private in the Dorset Regiment from his medal records, but to date no service records have been found for him. At some point during the war he was injured.
“The photograph shows George in uniform standing behind another unknown seated soldier. This photo was probably taken while he was home on leave after being injured, as there would appear to be a strip in the lower end of his left sleeve, there are two on the sleeve of seated man. These are wounded stripes instituted in 1916 and awarded each time a serviceman was wounded in action.
“On his return from war he was living in Short Street. In 1921 he married Gladys Maud Elliott at Penknap Chapel in Dilton Marsh and they were still living there when their son was born in 1923. Mary thinks he worked on the Chalcot Estate. Later he moved to Tower Hill. He died in 1962 and is buried in Dilton Marsh.”
Do you know anything about George or do you know anyone from this area who served in WW1? If so the Westbury Family History Group would like to hear from you. They can be contacted on westbury@wiltshirefhs.co.uk
