The Somme Remembered – 5 July 1916

George Neate was the son of George Neate and his wife Alice Maud Mary, born in Slaughterford.

The 1901 census has the family living, according to the census enumerator ‘road from Chippenham to Slaughterford’, possibly close to what was known as ‘Keeper’s House’. George snr. worked and his wife worked at the local paper mill.

Ten years later in 1911, George snr. was now a foreman at the papermill and it looks like four of his six children also worked in the mill.  Home for the family was Fford near Chippenham, the enumerator entered that their house had four rooms and that seven people lived there..  The entry for the family was completed by George jnr. who in error included his sister Annie on the sheet, Annie was infact living in Bath and worked as a servant for 70 year old Annie Marie Daries.  Annie’s entry was struck through by the enumerator and is one of the many mis-entries that are useful snippets of information.

Wiltshire Regiment via Wikipedia

George jnr. enlisted in Devises into the Duke of Edinburgh’s Wiltshire Regiment, serving as Private 18360 in D Company.

George, aged 22, was Killed in Action on the 5th of July 1916 and is remembered on the Theipval Memorial to the Missing along with over 72200 casualties whose final resting place is known only unto their God.

Thiepval Memorial