LEATHERHEAD WAR MEMORIALS - WWI
Lance Corporal George Thomas Hope
9th Bn Royal Sussex Regiment
Taken, Not Given, Liam Sumption, L&DLHS
L/Cpl
George T Hope
9th Royal Sussex Regt
Somme
Aug 18 1916
The death of George Thomas Hope was announced in the September [actually
October] 1916 issue of the Parish magazine, which gives his full names.
(1)
The Regimental Records state, additionally, that though he was born in
Leatherhead he enlisted in Newhaven, Sussex. His rank is given as
Private and his regimental number G/8214, also his membership of the
9th. Bn. was confirmed.
The reference in the Public Record Office for the War Diary of the 9th.
Bn Royal Sussex is W095– 2219.
Notes on sources
1. Parish magazine of St Mary and Saint Nicholas, Leatherhead,
September [actually October] 1916
2. Soldiers who Died in the Great War (Royal Sussex) - Imperial War
Museum, Lambeth.
Further research
Lance
Corporal
HOPE, GEORGE THOMAS
Service Number G/8214
Died 18/08/1916
Aged 25
9th Bn. Royal Sussex Regiment
Son of Mr. and Mrs. G. Hope, of 17, Church Walk, Leatherhead, Surrey.
INSCRIPTION
TILL WE MEET AGAIN
Buried at DELVILLE
WOOD CEMETERY, LONGUEVAL
Location: Somme, France
Cemetery/memorial reference: XXI. K. 2.
His Army papers record that when he enlisted on the 10
November 1915 at Newhaven, Sussex he gave his address as 3 Worpole
[Worple] Road, Leatherhead, Surrey, the address of his father as Next of
Kin.
He was a Scaffolder. He had served in the Royal
Engineers, service number 134710, for 9 days before failing a trade
test.
According to his Medical History he was 5ft six and three
quarter inches in height.
He had done a course at Woolwich on 2 March 1916: Cold
Shoeing (Very Good) School of Farriery.
He was promoted to Lance Corporal on 1 May 1916.
WAR DIARY 9th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment WO95
2219-2-1
THE CITADEL 15.8.16 Battalion
training in attack.
THE CITADEL 16.8.16 Battalion training in attack. Moved at 5.50pm to
relieve 9th E. Surreys in trenches before Guillemont. Stopped at Carnoy
& sent back to Mansell Copse arriving about midnight.
CITADEL 17.8.16 8.30pm Moved to Briquetterie preparatory to attack
Attack on Guillemont
18.8.16
Officers in Action
Lt-Col JFP Landon (C.O.), Lt. H.C Coleman (Adj.)
A Coy. Capt. McIvor, Lt. Shackel, 2/Lt. E Best
B Coy. Capt. McNair V.C., 2/Lt. C.M. Prince, 2/Lt. K.C. Bright
C Coy. Capt. Rogerson, 2/Lt. B. Vidler, 2/Lt. G.C. Mole
D Coy. Capt. Austin, Lt. H. L'Estrange, Lt. Hemming
Intelligence Officers 2/Lt. H. Treacher, 2/Lt. P.J. Surridge
M.G.O. 2/Lt. Dudeney, Bombing Officer 2/Lt. L.E. Baker
Sig. Officer 2/Lt. Atwood, Medical Officer Lt. A.A.E. Newth R.A.M.C.
Plan of Attack
7th Northamptonshire Regt to attack at 2.45 pm & take German Front
Line & the Quarries. 9th Royal Sussex Regt to attack at 5 am on the
19th and advance halfway through fortified village of GUILLEMONT.
Moved to Support Trenches in
front of Guillemont, A&B Coys at 12 noon, C&D Coys at 3pm.
18.8.16 At 2.45 pm 7 Northants attacked successfully. A&B Coys
moved to Front Line Trenches. 7th Northants lost heavily in hand to hand
fighting and at 4.30 pm were reinforced by part of A&B Coys. Capt.
A.R. McIvor and Captain E.A. McNair V.C. were wounded in trying to find a
route across No Mans Land.
18/8/16/ 2/Lt. C.M. Prince was killed during bombardment & 2/Lt. Baker
wounded. 2/Lt. K.C. Bright was killed by machine-gun fire leading his men
across to reinforce.
19/8/16 At 7.45 am C Coy was sent to reinforce and took up position on the
right of the line held by 7th Northants and a few men of A&B Coys of
9th Royal Sussex under Major Murphy, acting C.O. 7th Northants. This
position was held through the night. Rations were taken up by D Coy who
also built a strong point on the right flank (which was in the air).
During the early morning Capt. E.S. Rogerson was killed and Capt. W.F.J.
Austin wounded by rifle fire. The 8th Royal West Kents relieved 7th
Northants and 9th Royal Sussex during the night of 19th–20th.
Total casualties
Officers
Killed 3
Wounded 4
Other Ranks
Killed 23
Wounded 133
Missing 23
20/8/16 The battalion moved to the Craters on relief.
George Hope was one of the 23 Other Ranks killed. From the
following report it appears he sent a Field Card to his parents on the
day he died.
His Army records stated that his personal property was to
be sent to his father c/o Bernard C Stenning, Solicitor, Bank Chambers,
Leatherhead. Bernard ran the Church Lads Brigade of which George had
been a member and was himself a casualty
on 26 July 1917.
Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser
Saturday 9 September 1916
SURREY AND THE WAR.
LEATHERHEAD CASUALTIES.
Although official notification has yet been received from the War Office
it is feared that Mr. and Mrs. Hope, of Downside Cottages, Church Walk.
Leatherhead, have lost their eldest son, Lce.- Corpl. George Hope, in
the recent fighting in France. The last communication received from him
was a field card dated August 18th. and on Thursday last, the following
letter was received from Lieut. G. C. Mole, the 9th Royal Sussex Regt.
“I very much regret to inform you that your son, Lce.-Corpl. Hope, of my
platoon, was killed in action on Aug. 18th. He was killed while his
platoon was crossing over to take a German trench, and died a gallant
death. Please, accept my sincere sympathy your loss."
Lce.-Corpl. Hope, who was 26
years of age, was well-known locally. He joined the Sussex Regiment last
year, and after a period of training at Shoreham
went up to Woolwich, where he obtained a first pass in the cold shooting
test. About three months ago he went out to France.
2/Lt G.C. Mole was listed in the
War Diary as one of the officers of C Company but according to the War
Diary they did not move up to reinforce until the morning of 19th August.
Surrey Advertiser
Saturday 9 September 1916
KILLED.
Hope. Lce.-Corpl. G., Royal Sussex (Leatherhead)
Leatherhead Parish Magazine October 1916
FOR KING AND COUNTRY.
We greatly regret to record the following deaths in Flanders:
Aug. 18. George Thomas Hope, Lce.-Cpl. 9th Royal Sussex, killed in
action.
[The other was that of Grey
de Lèche Leach, Scots Guards]
Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser
Saturday 30 December 1916
ROLL OF HONOUR.
BRAVE SURREY MEN FALLEN IN THE WAR.
LEATHERHEAD AND DISTRICT
AUGUST
...
HOPE, Lce.-Corpl. George Thomas, of the Royal Sussex Regt, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Hope, Church Walk, Leatherhead.
His life
George Thomas Hope was born on 21 November 1890 and
baptised on 10 January 1891 at Leatherhead Parish Church.
His father was George John Hope born 3 July 1868 in Camberwell, Surrey. He
was a son of George Frederick Hope (1847-1881) from Birmingham, and Marian
Hope, maiden name unknown born about 1848 in Manchester. For most of
George's father (GJH) was a Brewery worker.
His mother was Caroline Carrie Grout, born in Great Bookham,
Surrey on 31 August 1868 and baptised on 27 September 1868. She was a
daughter of Thomas Grout (1835-1920), a Labourer from Great Bookham and
Caroline Roaf (1831-1913) from Great Bookham.
They were married at Leatherhead Parish Church on 14 May 1890: the
Register entry was: -
George John Hope, 21, Batchelor, Drayman: resident of Leatherhead:
Father - George Hope, Tun Man
Caroline Grout, 21, Spinster: resident of Leatherhead: Father - Thomas
Grout, Labourer
His siblings were Evelyn Elizabeth b 1895, William Arthur b 1898, and
Elsie Kate b 1900.
George had lived at:
Percy Cottages, Fairfield, Leatherhead
(1891 Census)
High Street, Leatherhead (1901 and 1911 Censuses)
3 Worple Road, Leatherhead (Army papers)
He was not married. He was a Green Grocer's Assistant in 1911 and had
become a Scaffolder at the time of his enlistment in Newhaven, Sussex.
After WW1
George's father died on 22 December 1928 in Harbourne, Birmingham where he
was living with his son William and daughter in law, another Caroline
(Buck). It appears that after a lifetime with the Brewery in Leatherhead
he had become an Electro-Plater like his son.
His widowed mother Caroline was still at 17 Church Walk, Leatherhead
[renumbered from 5 Downside Cottages, Church Walk] in 1939 (England &
Wales Register) and that is where she was in the 1958 Electoral Register.
Her death was registered in April 1959, Surrey South Eastern
District.
In George's Army papers is a note from her dated 27 January 1920:
"Sirs
Thank you for sending back my son's
photo, I didn't know if there might
be a chance of one of the 3 soldiers
that was advertised in the Daily
Express. I know I was told he was
killed but reading for time to time
of so many that was reported killed
coming home again makes one feel
anxious.
Thanking you again for the trouble
you have taken. I remain
Yours truly
Mrs Hope
5 Downside Cottages
Church Walk
Leatherhead"
George Hope is remembered on these memorials
Leatherhead Town Memorial
Leatherhead RBL Roll of
Honour, Leatherhead Parish Church
Ladies War Shrine, Leatherhead Parish
Church
Church Lads Brigade Memorial
Tryptich, All Saints Leatherhead
Surrey
in the Great War
the website editor would like to add
further information on this casualty
e.g. a photo of him, and of any recollections within his family
last updated 9 Aug 20: 24 Sep 20