George Edwin Ellison
Encyclopedia
George Edwin Ellison was the last British
soldier to be killed in the First World War.
Ellison came from Leeds
, England
, and was serving with the 5th Royal Irish Lancers
. He had previously worked as a coal miner, but was already serving in the army at the start of the war. He fought at the Battle of Mons
in 1914, and several other battles on the Western Front. He was killed an hour and a half before the armistice, on a patrol on the outskirts of Mons
, Belgium
.
Ellison is buried in the St Symphorien military cemetery
, just southeast of Mons
. Coincidentally, his grave faces that of John Parr, the first British soldier killed during the Great War.
He was survived by his wife Hannah and a four-year-old son. At least two grandchildren of his were alive in 2008.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soldier to be killed in the First World War.
Ellison came from Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and was serving with the 5th Royal Irish Lancers
5th Royal Irish Lancers
The 5th Royal Irish Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British army originally formed in 1689 as James Wynne's Regiment of Dragoons.They fought in the Battle of the Boyne and at the Battle of Aughrim under William of Orange...
. He had previously worked as a coal miner, but was already serving in the army at the start of the war. He fought at the Battle of Mons
Battle of Mons
The Battle of Mons was the first major action of the British Expeditionary Force in the First World War. It was a subsidiary action of the Battle of the Frontiers, in which the Allies clashed with Germany on the French borders. At Mons, the British army attempted to hold the line of the...
in 1914, and several other battles on the Western Front. He was killed an hour and a half before the armistice, on a patrol on the outskirts of Mons
Mons
Mons is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut, of which it is the capital. The Mons municipality includes the old communes of Cuesmes, Flénu, Ghlin, Hyon, Nimy, Obourg, Baudour , Jemappes, Ciply, Harmignies, Harveng, Havré, Maisières, Mesvin, Nouvelles,...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
Ellison is buried in the St Symphorien military cemetery
St Symphorien Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery
The St Symphorien military cemetery is a First World War burial ground 2 km east of Mons in the Belgian province of Hainaut. It was created and maintained by the German army from August 1914 until November 1918, when it passed into Allied hands, and it contains the graves of 229 Commonwealth...
, just southeast of Mons
Mons
Mons is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut, of which it is the capital. The Mons municipality includes the old communes of Cuesmes, Flénu, Ghlin, Hyon, Nimy, Obourg, Baudour , Jemappes, Ciply, Harmignies, Harveng, Havré, Maisières, Mesvin, Nouvelles,...
. Coincidentally, his grave faces that of John Parr, the first British soldier killed during the Great War.
He was survived by his wife Hannah and a four-year-old son. At least two grandchildren of his were alive in 2008.
Further reading
- Michael PalinMichael PalinMichael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries....
, Remembering Private Ellison, BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
, 29 October 2008. Retrieved 24 April 2011 - Peter Lazenby, Leeds soldier who was last to die in Great War, Yorkshire Evening PostYorkshire Evening PostThe Yorkshire Evening Post is a daily evening publication published by Yorkshire Post Newspapers Ltd in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
, 7 November 2008. Retrieved 24 April 2011