George Henry Folkard

A Corporal with No 1Base Signals Repair Unit, George died on 7th of November 1944 aged 22. 

George was born at Lowestoft on 5 December 1921, a son of Frederick M. and Ethel May Folkard. In 1939 his family lived at 5 Broad View Villa, Hall Road, and George was a clerk in an ironmonger’s shop and apprentice shopkeeper. 

In 1942 George married Ruth Evelyn Leeds, this was registered in the Lothingland district. In 1944 their home was at 37 Duke’s Head Street. 

George joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve between September 1939 and June 1940. In November 1944 he was serving with No 1 Base Signals Repair Unit.

On 7 November George was in transit to Ostend on Landing Ship Tank 420. Adverse weather meant that the Landing Ship could not dock at Ostend and was returning to the U.K. when it struck a mine near the Middlekerke Bank, in bad weather, and sank. 

WITH THANKS TO: Malcolm Barrass