HART George Robert

Name given as Robert George Hart on Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

The birth of George R. Hart is registered in the September Quarter 1923 under the Stourbridge Registration District, mother’s maiden name: Harper. The marriage of George R. Hart to Alice G. Broughton is registered in the December Quarter 1944 under the Stourbridge Registration District.

Appears on the Army casualties list for Worcestershire as Robert G. Hart.

The following information has been researched by The Black Country Society:
George Hart enlisted in the South Staffordshire Regt. and at the beginning of 1945 he joined the 2nd (Airborne) Battalion. This famous battalion had been at Arnhem and had suffered severely. The battalion required many replacements and George Hart was one of these. It became operational again in March and, as the German surrender was being negotiated, it was ordered to Norway. The German occupation had continued here and British troops were needed to ensure a peaceful hand-over of authority. The troops arrived in Stirling bombers and the first arrivals were asked to make a triumphal march through Oslo. The main task for the Staffords was to round up the Gestapo and send the German troops back to Germany. There was also the more delicate matter of detaining Quislings. The enthusiasm of the freed Norwegians was considerable and resulted in many parades and parties. However, Private George Hart seems to have become seriously ill and he died on the 7th August 1945. He was the last Stourbridge man to die on active service in the Second World War.