Huthwaite WW One Memorial
1914 - 1918 Remembrance
George Staples
Private 21779 - Sherwood Foresters
Notts Derby Regiment 11th Battalion
Enlisted: Mansfield 4th January 1915
Killed in action Flanders 1st July 1916 : Age 21
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL Pier and Face 10 C 10 D and 11 A.
Huthwaite Online WW1 Remembrance
Private 21779 George Staples was born 1896 and further raised spending much of his short life to record Huthwaite addressing upon enlistment. George however, hadn't been offered a justifiable Huthwaite Roll of Honour due their apparently recent family move just giving nearest named remembrance upon a Kirkby-in-Ashfield War Memorial.
The photo is that of Private George Staples, D. Company, 11th Sherwoods, who has been missing since the big push on the Somme on July 1st, 1916. His parents who reside in Forest street, East Kirkby, have now been officially notified that he is reported killed in action. Enquiries have been made in Germany through the Swiss Consul, but no trace can be found of him as being a prisoner in the enemy's hands, and in view of the War Office notification his friends have abandoned hope. Private Staples enlisted on January 4th, 1915 and was drafted to France in August of the same year. His last letter home was dated 10th June, 1916. He was 21 years of age, and was employed at the Summit Colliery.
George was a coal miners son of Charles Staples from Keyworth, Derbyshire. Fathers 1876 marriage with Miss Mary Houley from Codnor firstly relocates family settling into Hucknall-under-Huthwaite Windmill Cottages from 1891 census, listing children as Alice 13, Katharine E 12, William T 9, Charles E 6, Gertrude 3 with their first Huthwaite newborn Florance Annie.
George Staples makes appearance in next 1901 Hucknall-under-Huthwaite census aged 5, plus a 3 year old Thomas Edmund. Newer addressing at 70 Victoria Road comes from 1911 Kirkby-in-Ashfield census, where Charles 56, is promoted to Colliery deputy and mother Mary 54, records 8 of 11 children survived into adulthood. Parents head three youngest Huthwaite born. Their two sons already being employed at Summit Colliery pit top, Thomas aged 13 and George at 15.
Private 21779 George Staples entered France 8 months after enlistment into the Sherwood Foresters. Being killed in action on first day of the Somme was a fate likewise shared by most of his 11th Battalion, similarly encountered by all other regiments.
15 Feb 09 by Gary Elliott Updated 04 Jul 12