George Perry
Rifleman S/1 1949 - 1st Bn. Rifle Brigade
Killed in action on Sunday 1st December 1917 age 28
Buried in Monchy British Cemetery, Monchy-le-Preux, France
George Henry Perry was born in Gnosall in 1889 to Alfred Perry, a 30-year-old groom
born in Winstanton, and Sarah Ann nee Barker, born in Broseley, aged 27. He was
baptised in Gnosall on 27
th
October 1889.
The
1891
census
shows
the
family
living
on
Gnosall
High
Street,
with
Alfred
working
as
a
gardener;
George’s
older
brother
William,
aged
15,
was
working
as
a
grocer’s
errand
boy
and there were two older sisters, Agnes and Edith.
By 1901 family had moved to Ford, Shropshire where Alfred was working as a head
gardener; there were now eight children at home, from one to 13.
In 1911 George was working as gardener, and living at Oulton Park Gardens, Little
Budworth, Cheshire.
In 1914 he was working as a gardener at Belmont Hall, Northwich, Cheshire where he
enlisted on 3
rd
September 1914 into the Rifle Brigade as S/119499. He was sent into
action in France on 13
th
July 1915.
He was killed in action on 1
st
December 1917, and was buried at Monchy British Cemetery,
Monchy-le-Preux, France, grave II. A. 25. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, Victory and
British and medals.
His death record says “Formerly 3328, 9th Lancers" but he was certainly in the Rifle
Brigade as S/119499 at the beginning and end of the war so this may be a mistake.
Monchy British Cemetery, Monchy-le-Preux
Historical Information
Monchy village, a relatively high and commanding position, was captured by
Commonwealth forces on 11 April 1917. The cemetery was begun at once and continued
in use as a front-line cemetery until the German offensive of March 1918, when it fell into
their hands. It was recaptured by the Canadian Corps on 26 August and used again for a
month. The graves are very closely identified with the divisions which fought on this front.
There are now 581 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or
commemorated in this cemetery. 58 of the burials are unidentified but there are special
memorials to a number of casualties known to be buried among them.