George
Nurse VC (14th April 1783 to 25th November 1945)
George was born in County Fermanagh Ireland, grew up in
Guernsey in the Channel Islands (where his parents ran a hotel), joined the
army in London aged 18, found in many countries and now lies here in a cemetery
in Allerton, Liverpool.
Aged
26 he was a corporal in the Royal Field Artillery and fighting in the Second
Boer War. He was fighting at Colenso in Africa on 15th December 1899. Most of
his regiment had been wounded or killed at a sudden close-range fire from the
enemy. Five hundred yards away was a donga (a gulley formed by running water) which
contained some horses that were still alive. George volunteered to join Captain
Congreve, Captain Schofield and Lieutenant Roberts George to dash across 500
yards of land and space strewn with flying bullets and exploding shells to help
dying and injured comrades. Once back in the donga they harnessed a team of
horses to a limber (a two-wheeled cart carrying one big gun) to fight off the
enemy. George was wounded in a hand but when he saw Lieutenant Roberts take a
bullet and fall to the ground he went out in a blaze of bullets to help him.
Thankfully Captain Congreve lived (even though he was shot through the leg and toe
of his boot and saw his horse shot) and gave witness to George’s bravery which resulted
in a Victoria Cross. All four men were award a VC (Roberts posthumously.)
Always
a consummate soldier George went on to complete 22 years of active service ending
in January 1914. What timing though - seven months later First World War broke
out and he quickly re-enlisted and rose to the rank of Lieutenant. He retired
to Liverpool five years later with his wife.
He
must have never forgotten that day in Colenso and gave his son the middle name “Colenso”.
After years of fighting he spent later life working in the Liverpool Customs
House on the cleaning staff. He died aged 72 and occupied a simple grave with
no headstone. Forty-four years passed before the commemorative memorial
headstone was erected. Here I am beside it.
It
was a pleasure to seek out this man. Wouldn’t it be excellent to press a button
on a computer and see these acts of bravery as it happened? His three comrades
were also awarded Victoria Crosses so I will go and visit them too (though Congreve
was buried at sea near Malta.)
Bye George…
Passing again in
2020...
