The name of George Wilkins is inscribed on the Great War memorial tablet on the west wall of the Church of St James, Great Ellingham.
George was a Private in the 1st Battalion The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Aged just 28 (or 29), he was killed in action in France, on the 15th September, 1916.
Early Life
George was born in Great Ellingham in 1887. His birth was registered as ‘George Rivett‘ in the Wayland District, between July and September of that year.
His mother, Jane Rivett, was a daughter of local farmer Charles Rivett and his wife Letitia (née Smith).
Jane gave birth to George before she married Thomas William Wilkins (also known as William Wilkins).
Parents’ Marriage
Church of St James Great Ellingham. Postcard courtesy of Attleborough Heritage Group
As ‘William Wilkins’, 20 year old Thomas married 21 year old Jane Rivett in the Church of St James on the 20th November, 1888. Thomas William Wilkins was a son of Great Ellingham butcher William Wilkins, and his wife, Ann Amelia.
1891 census
George grew up in the Town Green area of the village.
The 1891 census captures 3 year old George (as George Rivitt Wilkins) with his parents, Thomas William and Jane Wilkins at Ivy Cottage in the Town Green/Long Street area of the village. Thomas Wilkins is working as a miller’s assistant.
1901 census
The 1901 census finds the family in Town Green. It is possible that the family were living in the same house as they were ten years ago.
Thomas and Jane have four children – George 13, Charles 7, Ivy 1 and three month old Ena. Employed as a miller, Thomas is using the name ‘William Wilkins’. George is attending school. No doubt it was the Board School in Hingham Road, which opened five years earlier in 1896.
1911 census
By 1911, Thomas, Jane and their children moved to a four-roomed property in Swamp Lane. The family may have had the use of a scullery in addition to the four rooms. Almost certainly, the family would have drawn their water from one of the wells in Swamp Lane, and likely used an outside privy.
Aged 43, Thomas Wilkins is in business as a fish hawker (fishmonger). His two eldest sons, 23 year old George and 17 year old Charles, were also working as fish hawkers. Likely, George and Charles were working for their father. The other children in the household are Ena 10, Eric 7, Leslie 6 and two year old Thomas.
At that time, Thomas and Jane had been married for 22 years. The couple had nine children, seven of whom were still living.
Military Service
As ‘George Rivett’, George was attested in Norwich on the 13th December, 1915. This would have been under ‘The Derby Scheme’. Lord Derby encouraged men to enlist, then return to their homes and wait to be called up. The results of the scheme were good but not good enough to prevent the introduction of conscription a few months later.
George was a single man, said to be 29 (but actually 28) and stood 5ft 4in tall.
He was mobilised on 1st March, 1916 and posted to the 1st Battalion ‘The Buffs’ East Kent Regiment. George embarked for the Western Front on the 14th June, 1916.
The 1st ‘Buffs’ War Diary for 15th September, 1916, places them in trenches near Guillemont. They arrived at 1am and were in action at 6.35am. ‘Battalion advanced and at once came under heavy machine gun fire, a large number of Officers and men were hit.’
The attack was halted because The Buffs, together with the other first wave units (2nd Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment and the 8th Bedford’s) were unable to advance due to the enemy machine guns. At one stage, 40 men of ‘The Buffs’, 200-300 men of the York & Lancs and 100 Bedfordshire men were pinned down in a trench. Others were trapped in shell-holes in ‘No Man’s Land’ and under heavy fire. The advance was called off at 7 pm. Total casualties 311 killed, wounded and missing.
The Deanery Magazine of November 1916 said: ‘Alas! Pte George R Wilkins was killed in action, Sept 15th. His officer wrote, “He was a very good solider and well liked in the Company”.’
Thiepval Memorial
Private G/7208 George (Rivett) Wilkins was killed in the action on the 15th September, 1916. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.
My thanks to Cynthia Budd who has meticulously researched Great Ellingham’s ‘Fallen Men’ of the Great War. Cynthia has provided all the details of George R Wilkin’s military service.
Sources:
Great Ellingham Parish Registers. Norfolk Record Office. PD609. Also available at www.familysearch.org
https://www.cwgc.org
1911 census RG14/11473/151
1901 census RG13/1867/69
1891 census RG12/1549/70
Cynthia’s sources: Please note that the sources include research carried out in relation to all the ‘fallen’ of the Great War throughout the Shellrock Benefice. Accordingly, not all the sources will be applicable to Great Ellingham :
Ancestry UK: Birth, Marriage, Death and Parish Records. Census Records and Electoral Rolls. Probate Records.Military Records; Army/Navy Service Records. UK Soldiers Died in the Great War Roll. Medal Index Cards. Medal Award Rolls. The Register of Soldiers’ Effects. War Diaries. Canadian Military Records.
Archant Archives, Norwich. Also Thetford Library; The Thetford & Watton Times.
Australian War Records Websites: https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
FindMyPast; Military Service Records. Electoral Rolls. British Newspaper Archive. The 1939 Register.
The General Record Office.
The History of the Norfolk Regiment 1914-1918 F Loraine Peter OBE
The London GazetteThe National Archives
The Norfolk Heritage Centre, The Forum, Norwich. Breckles and District Deanery Magazines. Norwich Mercury (Microfiche)
The Norfolk Record Office.
Norwich Cathedral Library; 1919 Diocesan Roll of Honour.
Picture Norfolk https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/libraries/picture-norfolk
The Red Cross https://grandguerre.icrc.org
Various Regimental Websites.