STRAIN George William

Parish of Ipsley Burial record:
3rd February 1915, George William Strain aged 43 years, died at Crabbs Cross, Ipsley.

George Strain was born in 1871. His marriage to Alice Skinner is registered in the June Quarter 1896 under the Coventry Registration District. In 1911 the couple had been married 14 years and were resident in Evesham Road, Crabbs Cross, Redditch. They had had no children.

George enlisted as a Gunner in the 3rd Worcestershire Battery Royal Field Artillery initially for a term of 2 years on the 1st April 1908. On his attestation form he gave his place of birth as Ipsley near Redditch, Worcestershire, his age as 35 years 4 months, his current address as Crabbs Cross near Redditch and his occupation as a Cycle Worker for the B.S.A. Co. He was promoted to Bombardier in 1911 and Corporal in 1913. Having returned home from annual training on Salisbury Plain on 17th August 1913, he was recalled to the Colours on the 5th August 1914. On the 7th October 1914 after 6 years and 190 days George was discharged from the army as being medically unfit got further service. His pension records give the cause of his death as ‘Acute transverse myelitis contracted on active service’. His widow Alice was awarded a pension of 13/- a week from the 1st February 1915, awarded on the 26th January 1915.