George Thomas Stebbings

A Private with 6th Bn. George died on 3rd of July 1916 at the age of 22.

George was born at Somerleyton in 1894, a son of Ernest Frederick and Elizabeth Pratt Stebbings. He was baptised at Saint Mary's Church, Somerleyton, on 19 August 1894, and his family lived at Somerleyton. By 1901 their home was at Myrtle Cottage, Beccles Road, Lowestoft, and in 1911 their address was 12 Beccles Road, Lowestoft, and George worked as a boot repairer.

George joined the Army at Lowestoft. He enlisted in the Suffolk Regiment, number 9087 (possibly the 6th Cyclist Battalion), and was later transferred to Army Cyclist Corps, number 2870. Subsequently he was transferred to The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) and posted to the 6th Battalion. He arrived in France with the 6th Battalion on 31 May 1915. Note: he served with Thomas Gowing who also came from Lowestoft. 

On 3 July 1916 the 6th Battalion were in trenches opposite Ovillers. They attacked the German trenches at 3.15 a.m. Although the men reached the enemy trenches the ground was swept with machine-gun fire and wire had not been cut, both combining to cause many casualties. Of all ranks in the Battalion 25 were killed, 158 wounded, and 121 missing.    

Initially George received a battlefield burial at map reference 57.d.X.7.b. and was reburied at Ovillers in 1920. 

Note some sources, incorrectly, give his date of death as 2 July 1916.