34281 Pte George Frederick Heaton, 6th Bn, Leicestershire Regiment

34281 Pte George Frederick Heaton of the 6th Bn, Leicestershire Regiment, died this day - 12th August - in 1918. Soldiers Died in The Great War notes that he was the only Leicestershire Regiment casualty on this day and that he was born in Blackpool and enlisted in Halifax, Yorkshire.

George is buried in Tincourt New British Cemetery having died - according to his service record - in Germany. This seems unlikely but it may well be that he died whilst in German hands and was originally buried in a cemetery made by the Germans. His water-damaged service record survives in the WO 363 (Burnt Documents) series at The National Archives, and the following information is taken from this.

He attested at Halifax on 22nd February 1917 with the Leicestershire Regiment, giving his address as 16 Prescott Street, Halifax. He was a young man, his age noted as 17 years and 353 days, and his occupation is recorded simply as "Clerk". He was just short of five and a half feet tall and his next of kin is recorded as his mother, Annie Heaton, also of 16 Prescott Street.

George was posted to the Leicestershire Regiment's 3rd (Reserve) Battalion on 24th February 1917 and then to No 12 Infantry Base Depot in France on 19th January 1918. He was immediately posted to the 8th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment on the same day, and was posted again on 3rd February 1918 to the 6th Battalion.

There is no legible information on his service record which indicates where he was captured, but the sheet giving medical information states, as I indicated earlier, that he died in Germany. He was 20 years old.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry.co.uk (MIC, WO 363 service record)
Army Service Numbers 1881-1918
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in the Great War
The image, taken from USGenNet, shows British graves in Tincourt just after the war.