George Henry Fell

George Henry Fell was born in 1889 in Radford Woodhouse, Nottingham and was the son of Jonathan a coal miner and Martha Fell née Bostock of 25 Vane Street, Radford Woodhouse Nottingham. His father Jonathan was born in 1831 in Laxton and his mother Martha Rhoda Bostock was born in 1849 in Bagthorpe, Nottingham, they were married in 1873, their marriage was recorded in the Basford Registration District, they went on to have the following children, Sarah b1871,Annesley, Faith b1874 Annesley ,Charles b1876 Radford, Kate b1879 Radford, Joshua b1882 Radford, Lucy b1887 Radford and George Henry b1890 Radford. In the 1911 census his parents are living at 25 Vane Street, Radford, Nottingham and are shown as Jonathan 80 yrs a coal miner , he is living with his wife Martha 62 yrs and their daughter Lucy Jane 24 yrs a cigar maker. George Henry was the husband of Helena (née Thompson later Ellis) Fell whom he married in 1910, their marriage was recorded in the Worksop Registration District, they lived at 111 Portland Street Clowne Chesterfield and had two children, George Henry born 16th August 1913 and Gladys born 19th September 1914.

Coal miner , Creswell Colliery

55 Heal Street, Clowne, Chesterfield

Private George Henry Fell, enlisted on 22nd October 1914 at Creswell, he gave his age as 24 yrs and 11 months , his address as 55 Heal Street, Clowne and his next of kin as his wife Helena of the same address . He served with the 1/6th Battalion Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment and landed in France on 28th February 1915. He was killed in action on 4th June 1915 and is buried in Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery,

Article published in the Belper News published 18th June 1915 :- “CLOWNE TERRITORIAL KILLED. “News reached Clowne last week of the death at the Front of Private G. H. Fell, of the 6th Sherwood Foresters. The widow is at Basford nursing her mother in-law, who lies in a critical condition, and whose dying wish is see her soldier son. The deceased, we understand, had intended asking for a few days’ leave of absence in order to visit his prostrate mother, but alas! Private Fell has succumbed to the deadly marksmanship of a German sniper, and the last hours of his bedridden mother, now in her 70th year, will be overshadowed by the gloom of her son’s death. “Though the widow has not received official intimation of her husband’s fate, a letter which Mrs. Bagshaw, of Bariboro’ Road, Clowne, has received from her husband, Private G. Bagshaw, of the 6th Sherwoods, confirms the report. “Private Bagahaw’s letter reached his wife on Thursday morning, [17th June 1915] and in it he states: — “We are having some champion weather in the trenches. I expect we shall be coming out on Monday or Tuesday. I have not such good news to tell you this time, as we have lost poor G. Fell on Friday morning about 3.30. He was going for some water to drink for tea just at the back of the trenches when he was shot by sniper, poor old lad! One of the boys went out for him, but he had passed away. I obtained permission to attend his burial on Tuesday night, but by some mistake l did not get to see him buried, but as soon as I get out of the trenches I will go and see his grave. We have a splendid piece of ground to bury our boys in; they could not have a better grave if they were in England. They are all laid together side by side with a cross on each grave. I will do all I can to keep the grave respectable while I am here.... Tell Mrs. Fell that I send my deepest sympathy, also the boys and the officer.” “Private Fell, who is a native of Nottingham, had resided in Neal Street, Clowne, for the past five years, being employed at the Creswell Colliery. He leaves a widow and two young children, neither of whom can as yet walk. He was in his 27th year, and before his marriage five years ago was in the South Notts. Hussars. His father fought in the Crimea, and came through that memorable campaign unscathed. In one of his letters home deceased expressed the hope that he would be as lucky as his father. He enlisted after the outbreak of War.” Above article is courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918