L/Cpl 94248 George Bradwell Eastwood

• Age: 36
• From: Helsby, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• D.O.W Monday 20th May 1918
• Commemorated at: Etaples Mil Cem
  Panel Ref: LXVIII.C.12

George Bradwell Eastwood was born 22nd February 1882 at Helsby, Cheshire and baptised 9th April 1882. He resided in Southport and was the son of the late Herbert. W. and Sarah Eastwood (nee Bradwell), of Higher Openshaw, Manchester (his father died in 1892 and his mother 1900). He was the husband of Gertrude Eastwood (nee Radford), of 17 Hampton Rd, Southport. George and Gertrude had married in 1907. They were to have a daughter Mary Gertrude who was born in December 1917. 

It would appear George also played cricket, as the Ormskirk Advertizer 14th May 1914 reported a match between Newburgh and Derby Road from the Southport and District League where he scored five runs and took two wickets.

The 1901 Census shows George living as a boarder at 21, Vine Street, Chorlton, South Manchester,

He is boarding with the Quarmby family, Benjamin the head of the household is age 35, born 1866 is a foreman joiner who was born in Gorton, Lancashire. His wife Mary aged 32, born 1869 with no occupation listed was born in Openshaw, Lancashire. George is aged 19 and employed as brewer’s clerk and his brother Herbert aged 25, who is employed as a railway clerk is also boarding at the address.  

The 1911 Census shows George living with his brother Herbert and his family at 12 Essex Road Gorton, South Manchester.

His brother Herbert William aged 36 is still employed as railway clerk and his wife Clare Amelia aged 34 has no occupation listed, they have the one daughter Mabel aged 1, born 1910. George aged 29 is still a brewery clerk. 

He enlisted in Southport and was formerly 39933, East Lancashire Regiment and was serving in the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Lance-Corporal No 94248 when he died of wounds on the 20^th May 1918 aged 36 during the German Spring Offensive.

He now rests at Etaples Military Cemetery, France, where his headstone bears the epitaph :

“SO IN GOD’S CARE I LEAVE YOU UNTIL THE LIGHT”

During the First World War, the area around Etaples was the scene of immense concentrations of Commonwealth reinforcement camps and hospitals. It was remote from attack, except from aircraft, and accessible by railway from both the northern or the southern battlefields. In 1917, 100,000 troops were camped among the sand dunes and the hospitals, which included eleven general, one stationary, four Red Cross hospitals and a convalescent depot, could deal with 22,000 wounded or sick. In September 1919, ten months after the Armistice, three hospitals and the Q.M.A.A.C. convalescent depot remained.

The cemetery contains 10,771 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, the earliest dating from May 1915. 35 of these burials are unidentified. It is the largest CWGC cemetery in France,  and was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

Manchester Evening News 27th May 1918

EASTWOOD - Lance -corporal G. B. EASTWOOD King's Liverpool Regiment, died of wounds, beloved husband of Gertrude Eastwood, aged 36 years (formerly of Chester's Brewery) - 11 Peel Street, Southport.

James is remembered on the Southport War Memorial and he is also commemorated on his parents memorial at St Barnabas' Churchyard, Bradwell, Derbyshire with the Inscription

"ALSO GEORGE BRADWELL
THEIR YOUNGEST SON, AND BELOVED HUSBAND OF GERTRUDE EASTWOOD
(KINGS LIVERPOOL REGT) WHO DIED OF WOUNDS IN FRANCE. MAY 20. 1918, AGED 36 YEARS.

Soldiers Effects to widow Gertrude, Pension to Gertrude and child Mary Gertrude.

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