George William Rayner

A Private with the 1/8th Battalion, George died on 2nd of December 1917 at the age of 19. 

George was born at Lowestoft in 1898, a son of Robert William and Bessie Rayner. From 3 June 1901 George attended Kirkley School and his family lived at Southwell Road. By 1911 his family were living at 34 Kirkley Run, Lowestoft, and later their address was 7 Epsom Terrace, Kirkley Run, Lowestoft.

George enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. He joined the London Regiment and arrived in France on 5 November 1917. 

Commonwealth War Graves records state that George was serving with the 10th Battalion London Regiment when he died. In fact the 10th Battalion did not exist as an entity at that time. The 1/10th Battalion London Regiment did not serve in France and George could only have served with the 2/10th Battalion. However, on the date that he was reported to have been killed in action the 2/10th Battalion were in rest camps: hence he could not have been serving with the Battalion at that time. The Army Register of Soldiers' Effects states that George was serving with the 8th Battalion London Regiment at the time he was killed. In December 1917 there were two battalion of the 8th London Regiment in France, the 1/8th and the 2/8th. The 2/8th Battalion was in rest camps in late November and early December and suffered no casualties on 2 December 1917, however the 1/8th Battalion took an active part in the Battle of Cambrai from 30 November 1917 onwards. We can infer, therefore, based on the evidence from the Army Register of Soldiers' Effects and relevant War Diaries that George was serving with the 1/8th Battalion London Regiment when he was killed. 

At 8.10 p.m. on 2 December 1917 the 1/8th Battalion made an attack to clear a sunken road on the right of Bourlon Wood. The Battalion War Diary has:

The attack was entirely successful. No organised enemy line was encountered, although there was some fighting with parties of the enemy who were in shell holes. . . the enemy appears to have been taken entirely by surprise . . We advanced about 300 to 400 yards and captured 30 prisoners and 9 machine guns. Our casualties were two officers and 30 other ranks.

Eleven of the other ranks were killed, including George. George was initially reported missing and it was not until November 1918 that it was concluded that he had been killed in action on 2 December 1917.

George's brother-in-law, Bertie Allen, died in 1916 in the loss of the drifter Kent County.