George Harvey

A Second Hand with H.M. Drifter Gleaner of the Sea. George died on 26th of October 1916 at the age of 47.

George was born at Brampton, Suffolk, on 8 May 1869, a son of William and Charlotte Harvey. He was baptised at Brampton on 3 October 1869. In 1871 his family lived at Upper Farm Road, Brampton and in 1881 at The Street, Brampton, and George worked as an agricultural labourer.  

On 14 April 1892 George married Evangeline Amelia Grimble at Saint Peter's Church, Carlton Colville. George was a fisherman living at Carlton Colville and Evangelina lived at Kirkley. In 1901 they lived at 1 Albany Cottages, Kirkley, and George was a master smacksman, and by 1911 at 3 Birds Lane, Kirkley Run. Evangeline died in 1919 and George and Evangeline's daughter, Mrs. Florence Watson, continued to live at 3 Birds Lane after their deaths. 

In 1898 George was awarded his certificate of competency as a Skipper. 

George joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 11 January 1915 and served on the trawler Gleaner of the Sea. 

In 1915 the 'Gleaner of the Sea' was part of the Dover Patrol and had the task of tending the nets that made up the anti-submarine defences. On 24th April 1915 they discovered that submarine U-13 was tangled in the drifter's anchor cable. The Skipper, Robert Hurren, took a 'lance-bomb' and struck the submarine on the fore-deck. The submarine was damaged and was also attacked by British destroyers before sinking. (See OVERLORD'S BLOG: Gleaming Sea (overlord-wot.blogspot.com). Robert Hurren was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions.

The Gleaner of the Sea was one of a number of Lowestoft trawlers, in the Dover Patrol, that were attacked by German destroyers during the night of 26-27 October 1916. The Gleaner of the Sea was lost with all hands. 

For details of the attack on the Dover Barrage see: The German attack on the 'Dover Barrage' 26th/27th October 1916 (sussexhistoryforum.co.uk)