George, Thomas Edward

Age: 26
Date of birth: 14th June 1913

Parents:
Wife: Evelyn Edith George
Address: 55 Lakin Road, Warwick

Occupation: Laundry Hand

Thomas was born in Coventry on 14th June 1913. He married Evelyn Edith Stowe in Meriden in 1935. They had a daughter Mary born in 1937.

According to the 1939 census the family were living at 55 Lakin Road, Warwick. Thomas’ occupation is stated as a laundry hand. Evelyn was a housewife. She died in 1981 whilst living at 9 Green Lane, Warwick and left probate of £24,000 – beneficiary unknown.

Military Service

Rank & Number: Private, 5105880
Regiment/Service: 2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment
Brigade/Division: 144th Infantry Brigade, 48th (South Midland) Division
Date of death: 27th May 1940
Cause of death/Battle: Murdered by the SS in the barn massacre at Esquelbecq
Commemorated/Buried: Buried in Esquelbecq Military Cemetery, Nord, France. Sp. Mem. Coll. grave 3. F. 1-8.
Awards:
Commemorated locally at:

The massacre at Esquelbecq is well documented. The 2nd Warwickshires were holding off the Germans and enabled the evacuation of over 338,000 men. The survivors were captured by the SS, led by Captain Mohnke, who took them to a barn where they were beaten and murdered. This news did not reach the soldiers’ families for some time, as shown by this item in the Warwick Advertiser from over a year later.

Warwick Advertiser 15th August 1941

 

Read more about the massacre:

https://www.warwickwarmemorial.org.uk/warwick-men-in-wormhoudt-massacre/

Warwick Men in Wormhoudt Massacre

Contributors

  • Unlocking Warwick Research Group
  • Warwick Advertiser excerpt courtesy of Warwickshire County Record Office

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