George William Carter was brought up by an elderly couple, latterly living in Rainsford Road. He was killed near Ypres in June 1917.
George was born in Romford around 1896.
Aged five, and a nurse child, recorded as resident with Stephen and Alice Witham (nee Sagrott) at Beggar Hill, Fryerning in the 1901 census. A decade later, aged 15, he was recorded by the 1911 census living with 87 year-old Ingatestone-born Stephen Witham and his 58 year-old wife, Alice, at 2 Rainsford Road in Chelmsford (later renumbered as 122). George was an errand boy while Stephen was a railway pensioner.
George enlisted at Warley. He was posted as 3/2159 in the Essex Regiment and landed in France on 11th December 1914.
On 30th September 1914 the Suffolk and Essex Free Press reported that he had gone absent without leave.
In July 1915 Stephen Witham died in Chelmsford, aged 91; his final address being the Union Infirmary in Wood Street, Chelmsford.
He transferred to the 7th Company Machine Gun Corps where he held the service number 45415. He was killed in action on 11th June 1917.
CARTER, GEORGE WILLIAM,
Lance Corporal, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) (formerly of the Essex Regiment)
He transferred to the 7th Company Machine Gun Corps where he held the service number 45415. He was killed in action on 11th June 1917.
George is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial and the Civic Centre Memorial, Chelmsford, which records George regiment as the ‘Essex Regiment’. He was entitled to the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and Victory Medal.
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