George Henry Spoore

A Private with the 8th Battalion, George died on 12th of October 1917 at the age of 35. 

It is difficult to say exactly where George was born as three different records state three different places. Also, when George enlisted in the Army he claimed to be 38 years and 7 months old, when in fact he was only 32.

We do know that he was a son of James and Sarah Ann Spoore and that he was born around 1882. It is possible that he was born at Wednesfield, Staffordshire. 

In 1891 George was living with his family at Black Heath, Wenhaston. By 1901 he was living at Stone Cottage, Tonning Street, Lowestoft, and working as a fisherman.

George’s Army service papers state that he had served in the Royal Naval Reserve for five years but had been discharged because of rheumatic fever. They also show that he had been at sea for around ten years by the time he enlisted. 

George was living at 8 Thurston Road and working as a carter, when he enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft on 30 March 1916. He joined the Norfolk Regiment, service number 24873, and the next day he was posted to the 3rd Battalion. On 21 July 1916 George arrived in France and joined 17 Infantry Base Depot. On 30 July 1916 he was posted to the 1st Battalion and joined the battalion the next day.

At Loungueval, on 1 August 1916, George received a gunshot wound to his left leg. He was sent to 21 Casualty Clearing Station and, on 3 August, transferred to 1st South African General Hospital, Abbeville. 

On 6 August George was transferred to the Hospital Ship Panama and evacuated to England and was posted to the strength of the Depot. On 29 June 1917 he joined the 3rd Battalion, and he arrived in France on 30 July 1917 and joined 17 Infantry Base Depot, Calais, on 1 August. He was posted to the 8th Battalion on 22 August 1917. 

George’s service papers, and other official sources, clearly show that he was killed in action on 12 October 1917 at ‘place unknown’. On that day the 8th battalion were billeted along the bank of the Canal de L’Yser. The battalion war diary mentions no casualties for 12 October, hence what actually happened to George is not known.