Private 103872 George Gulliver

Died Home on Sunday, 24th July 1921, age 28.
Buried in Grave C. "C." 175. at Tipton Cemetery, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.

1st Bn., Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regt.). 24th Brigade of 8th Division.
Formerly 48729 South Staffordshire Regiment.

Son of William and Sarah Gulliver, of 56, Waterloo St., Tipton.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Unknown, Resident: Tipton.

First landed France & Flanders, post 31st December 1915.
Medal entitlement: British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Not commemorated on any Tipton memorial.
Commemorated here because identified as Tipton on 'Soldiers Died in the Great War'.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/395344/

Genealogical Data

Birth of George Gulliver registered September quarter 1893 at Dudley. Mother née Preedy.

1901 Census
54 Park Lane Passage, Tipton, Staffs.
William Gulliver (37, Coal Worker above ground, born Tipton), his wife Sarah (26, born Tipton), and their 4 children: George (7, born Tipton), William (6, born Tipton), Thomas (3, born Tipton), and David (1, born Tipton).

1911 Census
54 Union Street, Tipton, Staffs.
William Gulliver (46, Canal Boat Unloader, born Tipton), his wife Sarah (36, born Henley in Arden), and their 8 surviving children of 9: George (17, Labourer at Iron Foundry, born Tipton), William (16, Labourer at Iron Foundry, born Tipton), Thomas (13, Labourer at Coal Dealer's, born Tipton), David (11, School, born Tipton), Sarah Jane (8, School, born Tipton), Emmie (6, School, born Tipton), Joseph (4, School, born Tipton), and Mary Ann (2, born Tipton).

Personal Data

George was 21 years old when war was declared in August 1914; there is no evidence of a rush to enlist. It may have been conscription that forced George’s hand and he joined the South Staffs as Private 48729. This was likely to have been around July/August 1917 as a soldier with a close number (Pte Frederick Harris, 48391) joined around July 1917.

No records exist to say when George landed in France, but it is likely to have been in 1918. It is likely that he arrived in an Infantry Base Depot (eg Étaples) from where men would be allocated to units in need of reinforcement. He was one of 118 men transferred to the 1st Sherwood Foresters (numbers 103771 to 103888) from the South Staffs, but no date is given.

The transfer could have been in January 1918 when the 1st Sherwoods had a total of 152 Other Ranks join them. However, as none of these men were killed during the Spring Offensive from March 21st, it is more likely to have been in April 1918 when the 1st Sherwoods had a total of 582 Other Ranks join as reinforcements. We do not know with any degree of certainty; it may have been even later.

There is no evidence of George being wounded, and as he was not discharged due to wounds (Silver War Badge) and there is no evidence of any pension. It is likely that he was de-mobilised in the usual manner in the first half of 1919.

At the time of the 1921 census, he was living with his parents at 54 Union Street, Tipton, and working as a ‘radial driller’ at Lee Howl & Co., a famous engineering works in Tipton.

Action resulting in his death

George appears to have left the army by being de-mobilised in 1919. There is no evidence of him being discharged due to wounds or sickness, and no pension was ever paid to him or his parents. In 1921 he was working as a driller in an engineering works.

George died in 1921 but has a Commonwealth War Graves headstone in Tipton cemetery. As he was then a civilian, this would normally mean that his war service was thought to be contributory to his death, whether from sickness or wounds. George's death certificate gives the cause of his death as influenza and lobar pneumonia without any reference to his prior military service. At this distance, it is difficult to see why the Commonwealth War Graves Commission gave a CWGC headstone.

Newspaper Cuttings

None.