PRIVATE 9598 GEORGE DUELL, 1ST BATTALION NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS.


PRIVATE 9598 GEORGE DUELL, 1ST BATTALION NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS. KILLED IN ACTION 14TH JULY 1916.



Although, born in Wakefield in 1884, George Duell had spent most of his childhood in Ilkley. His father, Thomas, was variously a dairy-man, bailliff and farmer and with his large family had lived in different houses in the town before settling in the Old Lodge, Ben Rhydding. George appears to have begun his working life as a saddler but at the age of 20 enlisted in the army. His chosen regiment was the Northumberland Fusiliers and he was posted to their 1st Battalion who were serving in India. His 9 years of service appears to have been uneventful and he returned to civilian life in 1913. All former regular soldiers had to spend 5-7 years in the reserve and were liable to return to their regiment in time of war. In August 1914 George was recalled to his regiment who were now stationed in Portsmouth. The battalion arrived in France just a few weeks later and George was wounded for the first time later in the year. He returned to his battalion in February 1915 and was wounded again in March 1915 George returned to the Fusiliers just in time to take part in the Somme Offensive. On 14th July The Northumberlands were ordered into an attack near to the village of Bezentin-le-Grande. The battalion successfully achieved their objective but not without casualties, including George who was killed. Private George Duell, has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing and is remembered on Ilkley War Memorial

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