More about George Stirton

George Stirton was the son of Mr Charles and Mrs Margaret Stirton of 5 Wolseley Street, Dundee and lived with his parents. He worked as a Hacklemaker until April 1915 when he volunteered to join the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve onboard HMS Unicorn for service in the Royal Naval Division. After initial Naval Training at the Crystal Palace in South London he was drafted to Blandford Camp in Dorset for military training in June. On completion he embarked to join the Hawke Battalion serving ashore in Gallipoli and arrived on the Peninsula in late August. In November he was evacuated to hospital in Alexandria, Egypt suffering from severe dysentery. He was evacuated to the Royal Naval Hospital Haslar in Gosport, Hampshire travelling in the liner Mauretania. After leaving the hospital he was allowed to recuperate at home before returning to Blandford in late February 1916. In July, after specialising in the use of hand grenades, he was drafted back to the Hawke Battalion now serving on the Western Front in France. However he was held back at the Royal Naval Division’s depot at Etaples and sent to the 6th Entrenching Battalion employed in resupply and trench repairs. After the final Somme fighting in November 1916 George Stirton was finally sent to the Hawke Battalion which had suffered severe losses in the fighting at Beaucourt. He was hospitalised for short periods in December and January 1917 but was killed in action during the fighting for Puisieux and River Trenches. His body was recovered and George Stirton is buried in the Queen’s Cemetery, Bucquoy, Pas de Calais. Dundee City Roll of Honour (D3838) gives his service number as Z/314 not Z/3814.

George was the brother of Pte Stewart Spence Stirton 202195, 4/5th Battalion, Black Watch, who was killed in action, 27.09.1917.

Clyde Z/3814 A.B. George Stirton, Hawke Battalion, Royal Naval Division, was killed in action on 3 February 1917.
George Stirton enlisted on 6 April 1915 and served with Hawke Battalion in the Dardanelles before being invalided to the U.K. suffering from dysentery in November.
He rejoined the Battalion as a bomber in 1916 but was killed in action on 3 February 1917, aged 21.
George was the son of Charles and Margaret Stirton, 5 Wolseley Street, Dundee, and before the war was employed as a hacklemaker.
He is buried in Queens Cemetery, Bucquoy, Pas de Calais, France.
George was one of six brothers, at least two of whom lost their lives.

DUNDEE SEAMAN KILLED IN ACTION. The sad news has been received by Mr and Mrs Charles Stirton, who reside at 5 Wolseley Street, Dundee, that their son, A.B. Seaman George Stirton, has been killed in action. A.B. Seaman Stirton, who was 21 years of age, enlisted in the R.N.D. in 1915. He had seen much fighting, both at the Dardanelles and in France.
Prior to enlistment he was employed with Mr George Stewart, hacklemaker. Mr and Mrs Stirton have three sons still serving with the colours. The Courier, Monday, 26 February 1917, 4.

In April 1917, another brother, John Stirton, applied for exemption from military service, on the grounds that his family had already made a significant sacrifice.
He was granted a two months’ temporary exemption.

PATRIOTIC DUNDEE FAMILY. REMAINING SON APPEALS FOR EXEMPTION. Dundee Tribunal met this afternoon, and had 51 cases under consideration. A PATRIOTIC FAMILY. John S. Stirton, charge-hand, 5 Wolseley Street, claimed exemption on domestic grounds. His five other brothers had joined the army, and two had been killed. He did not want to go to the army and leave his father and mother. If one of his brothers was released from the army, he would be willing to go at once.
Major Cappon said the record was very good, but there was one case where a woman had nine sons.
Stirton said they were willing to make sacrifices, but asked what about those who were making no sacrifice? He thought it very hard.
He was granted two months’ temporary exemption. The Evening Telegraph and Post, Monday, 16 April 1917, 2.