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George Thomas Rothery was born on 6th April 1899 at Chickenley and baptised at St. Mary’s Church Gawthorpe and Chickenley Heath on 21st May 1899. George Thomas was the eldest of five surviving children, three sons and two daughters, born to Ossett miner John and Doncaster born Florence (Florry) Elizabeth Rothery (nee Hyomes) who were living at Dewsbury Road, Chickenley Heath. George’s baptism registration has his name as John Thomas which is likely to be an error. John Rothery, an army reservist aged 31 married Florence Elizabeth Hyomes aged 20 at Horbury Bridge, St. John the Devine Church on 26th November 1898. They both gave their residence as Storrs Hill (i.e. the Horbury Bridge end).
Storrs Hill 1910 with Horbury Bridge in the background
By 1901 Florence Rothery was living on Owl Lane, Ossett. She was recorded as married, head of household and working as a millhand piecener, living with her two years old son, George Thomas and a visitor 44 years old Mary Ann Rothery who was helping with house duties. John Rothery was not recorded in the 1901 Census.
John Rothery, father of George Thomas, and his exploits in the army and elsewhere 1886-1919.
Later we shall discover the whereabouts of John Rothery on that day in 1901. By 1911 John had returned to the fold and Florence had given birth to ten children, five of whom sadly died before April of that year. John Rothery was a complex character having been imprisoned in HMP Wakefield in 1901 for being drunk and at least twice for unpaid debts in 1906 and 1910. By 1911 he was living at Milton Street Wakefield with his wife Florence and their five surviving children aged between twelve years and three months. Each was born in a different Yorkshire town. The couple had another five children between 1912 and 1921 but sadly they all died, four before their first birthday and one, Florence junior, who died aged one year. Her lastborn child was named George Thomas (named after the son lost in WWI) who was born and died in spring 1921. Florence senior was 41 years of age and had given birth to at least fifteen children, only five survived to adulthood.
One of those five surviving children was George Thomas Rothery born in April 1899 who was to lose his life in France on 19th September 1918, aged just 19 years.
Before we move on, there is more about this hugely dysfunctional family. The father, John Rothery, a collier of South Ossett, was 18 years and nine months old when he enlisted in July 1886. He signed up for twelve years, seven years in the Colours and five in the Reserve, and joined the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (South Yorkshire) Regiment.
His Attestation papers indicate he had previously served with the Yorks & Lancs Regiment. His service wasn’t without incident and within a year he was in confinement, tried and released following which he deserted for almost three years until 1890. It seems all was forgiven and John served in India (1890-1898) where he contracted ague (malaria), syphilis, severe gonorrhea, rheumatism, an ulcer, a strained ankle and an accidental scalp wound. He also underwent a Court of Enquiry into an injury he incurred whilst not on duty.
John Rothery then had two years at home in 1898-1900 during which he married Florence in 1898 and they had their first child, George Thomas, in 1899. John then served in the South African Boer War (January 1900-August 1902) and in early May 1901 he was held in confinement pending his trial for failing to be on parade. He returned to duty in late June 1901 having forfeited his South African Medal and was discharged on termination of his engagement on 8th August 1902. He returned home in August 1902 to have another fourteen children, nine of whom died shortly after their birth.
Before leaving John we should recount that he also served in WWI as a result of his being a Reservist following his earlier service. He was almost 45 years of age and living at Milton Street Wakefield with his family when he enlisted on 19th October 1914; two weeks after Great Britain declared war on the German Empire. Like his earlier army service his WWI service with KOYLI courted wrong doing and he was punished with three detentions in his first eight months. On 10th June 1915 he was posted to France until October 1916 when he was transferred to King’s (Liverpool) Regiment where he appears to have seen action with the King’s 1st Garrison battalion posted to Egypt. He was demobilised on 9th March 1919 and moved to Class Z Reserve. He had served in WWI for four years and 142 days.
John Rothery was awarded the British, Victory and 1914-1915 Star Service Medals in the early 1920’s. He had served as Private 3306 King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and latterly 47666 King’s (Liverpool) Regiment.
George Thomas Rothery goes to War 1918
It was against this domestic and dysfunctional backgound that eldest son George Thomas Rothery grew up to be a man. At the outbreak of war on 4th August 1914 he was fifteen years and four months old. He was able to enlist when he was 18 years old in April 1917 and he would be able to serve overseas in April 1918 at the age of 19 years. April 1918 was the time the War Office reduced the age from 19 to 18 ½ years (to serve overseas) if the soldier had at least six months training.
On 25th April 1917 George Thomas of 2 Dibsey Square Providence Street Wakefield was 18 years and one month old when he enlisted for the duration of the war at Pontefract and joined the 6th Training Reserve battalion of the Notts & Derbyshire Regiment. On 17th September 1917 he transferred to the 11th Training Reserve Battalion of the Notts & Derbyshire Regiment also known as the Sherwood Foresters. He worked as a labourer and was 5’2” tall and 125lb weight.
He embarked at Folkstone and disembarked at Boulogne on 29th/30th January 1918 and by 2nd February 1918 he was in the Field with his 2nd Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby) Regiment. They came under the order of the 71st Brigade of the 6th Division. Like father like son George Thomas on 2nd September 1918 was under arrest awaiting trial. He was subsequently tried by Court Martial and sentenced on 10th September to 28 days for conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline on active service.
Nine days later on 19th September 1918 Private 97980, George Thomas Rothery was reported missing. He had either been killed in action or died of wounds. He was 19 years of age and had served his country for one year and 148 days.
During his 7 ½ months in France and Flanders he would have seen action at The Battle of St Quentin, The Battles of the Lys (fighting against the enemy Spring Offensive, Operation Georgette, on the Ypres Salient), The Advance in Flanders and The Battles of the Hindenburg Line.
After the First battle of the Somme the German army believed it could not win a war of such battles of attrition. They adopted a scorched earth retreat to a planned location and began construction on the Hindenburg Line. The line was a nearly 100 miles long trench system with a second trench line behind it as backup and comprised deep trench fortifications protected by thick belts of barb wire. It ran along high ground making use of reserve slopes to conceal defences.
Breaking the Hindenburg Line: The capture of St Quentin Canal
The Battle of the Hindenburg Line, which began September 18, 1918, was a key turning point in the Hundred Days Offensive that eventually led to the end of WWI. British forces spearheaded the attack against the German line with intention of breaking it.
To do so the British continued their effective use of tanks that started earlier in the Offensive at the Battle of Amiens. The battle was another sign that trench warfare was over as the Allies broke through the largest trench system on the Western Front.
The 2nd Battalion, Sherwood Foresters, formed part of 71st Brigade, 6th Division, and were involved in an attack on the outer defences of the Hindenburg Line near Holnon, north west of St Quentin.
In the action which was to be his last the casualties were high. Between 17th-21st September, the 2nd battalion recorded Other Ranks 56 Killed, 267 Wounded and 37 Missing. Officers; 4 Killed and 6 Wounded. Sadly he was one of other ranks who lost their lives.
He is buried and remembered at grave plot D.41, TREFCON BRITISH CEMETERY, CAULAINCOURT .
On the 22nd March 1918 Caulaincourt and Trefcon was captured by the Germans, in spite of a stout defence by the 50th (Northumbrian) Division. The villages were regained by British troops in September 1918. The cemetery was made by the IX Corps (6th and 32nd Divisions) in September 1918, and was called at that time Caulaincourt Military Cemetery.
There are now nearly 300, 1914-18 and a small number of 1939-45 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over 10 from the 1914-18 War are unidentified.
The Cemetery covers an area of 977 square metres and is enclosed by a low rubble wall.
Private 97980, George Thomas was awarded the British and the Allied Victory Medals for his service overseas in a theatre of war and they were to be issued to Mrs Florence Rothery, Beavers Row, Kirkhamgate, Wakefield.
In 2022 George Thomas Rothery, once of Ossett, will be remembered at the Ossett War Memorial in the Market Place where his name will be inscribed alongside his brothers and sisters in arms; the Ossett Fallen.
Researched by the Ossett Fallen Team and written by Alan Howe. January 2022.
