Capt Arthur de Bells Adam (MC)
1885 - 1916

CPL David Wallace Crawford
1887 - 1916

Lce-Corpl John Joseph Nickle
1894 - 1916

Pte 17911 Morton Neill
1897 - 1916

Lieut Edward Stanley Ashcroft
1883 - 1918

Pte 204299 George Wiseman

Age: 27
From: Liverpool
Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
K.I.A Thursday 7th June 1917
Commemorated at: Railway Dugout B.g. Zillebeke
Panel Ref: VII.M.6

George was born in Liverpool in 1890 the only surviving child of Frank Henry Wiseman and his wife Alice (née Capon). Frank, a pork butcher from Enfield, Middlesex, and Alice, born in Suffolk, married on the 11th October 1885 at St Paul's Church in Liverpool. Frank was a 35 year old pork butcher of Union Street, his father, George, was a gardener, whilst Alice was aged 28 of Highfield Street, her father, Samuel, was a gamekeeper. They had three children, all born in Liverpool. Frank Ernest was born in 1886 but sadly died at a few months old in Edmonton, Middlesex. Perhaps Frank and Alice were visiting relatives at the time. A daughter, Rose Alice, was born in 1887 but also died in infancy. Alice suffered yet more loss when her husband Frank died at the age of 29, before the birth of George, who was baptised in St. Augustine's Church, Everton, on the 04th May 1890, his father, was a deceased butcher of 13 Eastbourne Street.

At the time of the 1891 Census, Alice and George aged 1, are at 18 Nevin Street, off West Derby Road, Liverpool. Alice is a cap machinist, born in Little Glemham, Suffolk.

The 1901 Census finds Alice and George living with her sister in law, his aunt, Grace Wiseman and her two daughters, at 11 Eastbourne Street, Everton. Alice is 44, working as a cap maker, George is 10. His aunt, 52, is a pork butcher, working on her own account.

By the time of the 1911 Census, George is living with his mother Alice, at 7 Eastbourne Street. George is 20, a cotton broker’s clerk, his mother is still working as a cap maker. The census form is filled in by Robert Talbot, a neighbour.

When George was 23, he married Elizabeth McComb, aged 22, on the 10th July 1913 in St. Augustine's Church, Everton. He gave his occupation as a clerk, and his residence as 10 Hannan Road, Kensington, Liverpool. They had two sons; George Henry was born on the 07th January 1915 and Leslie on the 02nd July 1916.

His mother Alice remarried to Peter Richard Jenkins on the 06th September 1915 at St. Philip's Church, Liverpool. Bachelor, Peter, was a 55 year old baker of 78 Halsbury Road, his father, Richard, was a baker, whilst widowed Alice was aged 58 of 10 Hannan Road, her father, Samuel, was a gamekeeper.

George enlisted in Liverpool and joined the 19th Battalion of the Kings Liverpool Regiment as Private 204299.

Formed on 07^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain.

He was killed in action on 07th June 1917. The 19th Battalion War Diary contains details of the action on the day that George was killed:

From the battalion War Diary for 07^th June 1917 – The Battle of Messines.

"Attack on the Messines Ridge by the Second Army, this battalion and the 2^nd Bedfordshire Regt holding the line on the left flank of the attack. Immediately after zero (3.10 a.m.) four patrols under 2^nd Lieuts J. Ross, G.W. Sharples, A.S. Calvert, C.W. Cackett. The first patrol under 2^nd Lieut Ross got to within 40 yards of the German front line. 2^nd Lt Ross then left his patrol and went forward to reconnoitre. In climbing over the parapet he found that the front line was strongly held. With great difficulty he got his patrol back to our front line having suffered only 1 casualty (wounded). The report was immediately sent in with the result that artillery commenced to bombard the enemy front line. The other three patrols were unable to get far owing to the heavy enemy machine gun and rifle fire. One patrol leader, 2^nd Lt. Sharples, was killed and his patrol suffered casualties, 2 OR killed and 4 OR wounded. In 2^nd Lt. Calvert’s patrol 1 OR was killed. During the day repeated reports were received of the progress of the attack on the right and late in the afternoon reports were received that most of the objectives had been reached.”

The three Other Ranks killed during this action were Pte 52098 Alfred Jackson, Pte 204299 George Wiseman, and Pte 23106 Samuel McIlroy. They rest together in Railway Dugout Burial Ground at Zillebeke.

George's headstone bears the epitaph:

"AT REST"

Railway Dugouts Burial Ground is 2 Km west of Zillebeke village, where the railway runs on an embankment overlooking a small farmstead, which was known to the troops as Transport Farm. Burials began there in April 1915 and continued until the Armistice, especially in 1916 and 1917, when Advanced Dressing Stations were located in the dugouts and the farm. The names "Railway Dugouts" and "Transport Farm" were both used for the cemetery. In the summer of 1917 a considerable number were obliterated by shell fire before they could be marked. The names "Railway Dugouts" and "Transport Farm" were both used for the cemetery.

At the time of the Armistice, more than 1,700 graves in the cemetery were known and marked. Other graves were then brought in from the battlefields and small cemeteries in the vicinity, and a number of the known graves destroyed by artillery fire were specially commemorated. The latter were mainly in the present Plots IV and VII.

The cemetery now contains 2,459 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 430 of the burials are unidentified and 261 casualties are represented by special memorials. Other special memorials record the names of 72 casualties buried in Valley Cottages and Transport Farm Annexe Cemeteries whose graves were destroyed in later fighting.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

The amount of the War Gratuity suggests that he served for one year.

His death was announced in the Liverpool Echo on 21st June 1917:

“June 7, killed in action, aged 27 years, Private George Wiseman, only loved son of Mrs. Jenkins, and dearly-beloved husband of Elizabeth Wiseman, 10 Hannan Road. (One of the best.)”

And an In Memoriam notice, on the first anniversary of his death:

“In loving remembrance of Private George Wiseman, K.L.R., the dearly beloved husband of Elizabeth Wiseman, and only loved son of Mrs. Jenkins, killed in action June 7, 1917. (Words cannot express our deep sorrow.) - 10 Hannan Road.”

His widow Elizabeth received George’s Army effects, Army Pay £2 4s 9d, a War Gratuity of £3, and a pension of £1-2s-11d a week from December 1917.

On the 1921 Census at 10 Hannan Road, widow, Elizabeth, is aged 30, with sons George Henry, aged 6 and Leslie, aged 4. Also present are the in-laws Peter Richard and Alice Jenkins.

Elizabeth remarried on the 14th August 1921 to John James Edwards at St Philip's Church, Liverpool. John was a 25 year old police constable of 69 Brynn Street, St Helens, his father, David, was a quarryman, whilst Elizabeth was aged 30 of 10 Hannan Road, her father, Joseph McComb, was a machinist. John was born in Oswestry, and they had at least three children, Reginald James born in 1922, Marjorie, born in 1924 and Joyce, born in 1927. They lived at 24 Hannan Road until 1939 and appear on the Register at Llangollen Road, Wrexham. John, date of birth, the 08th September 1895, is a concretor and drainer, Elizabeth, date of birth, the 24th November 1890, and Joyce, who was born in1927 (2 names redacted).

It is not known for sure when Elizabeth died.

His son George Henry became an aircraft fitter; in 1939 he is living in Hannan Road, at number 24. He married Jessie W. Sealby in 1939, had a child Leslie, and died in 1975 aged 60.

His son Leslie sadly died in 1924 at the age of 8.

His mother appears to have died in 1928, aged 72.

George is commemorated on the following memorials-

Liverpool Cotton Association

St. Augustine's Church, Everton

Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 31

We currently have no further information on George Wiseman, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.