Private George Russell
George Russell was born on 8 March 1895 at Edenderry, King's County, the second of nine children of gamekeeper George William Russell and his wife Susan Jane (née Reilly). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 27 Main Street, Arklow, County Wicklow, where he worked as an apprentice to draper Henry Annesley.
Russell enlisted in the North Irish Horse at Antrim on 8 November 1915 (No.1821). He gave his occupation as salesman.
At the end of December that year, Russell was one of forty North Irish Horsemen who volunteered to transfer to the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. The formal transfer took place on 9 January 1917, and on the same day they embarked for France, where they were posted to the 10th Battalion, joining it at Ploegsteert Wood on the Ypres front on 16 January. Russell was issued regimental number 40673.
Russell was wounded later that year during the Third Ypres offensive, possibly on 16 August at the Battle of Langemarck. Evacuated to the UK for treatment, by 4 October he was fit for limited duty and was posted to B Depot of the Inniskillings. On 25 April 1918 he was posted to the regiment's 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion at Buncrana, County Donegal.
On 21 May 1918, however, he was transferred to the Labour Corps (No.590499) and posted to No.566 Home Service Employment Company. On 23 June he was again transferred, to the Royal Defence Corps (No.83466).
Russell was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve, on 16 April 1919. He was granted a pension due to tuberculosis which was attributed to his military service. By 1922 his level of disability was rated at 100 per cent.
He survived the disease, however, and lived at Edenderry for the rest of his life. He died on 20 January 1979 and was buried in the Edenderry Church of Ireland Cemetery.
Images sourced from Ancestry public member trees. Contributors: image 1 Murray Henderson; image 2 'garjaq2'.