WORLD WAR I
Bingham War Memorial
Service Record
| 238887 WR/264925 |
Sapper George Arthur Attenborough | Royal Engineers | born 1882 |
| Promoted at some point to Lance Corporal | |||
| Roll of Honour | Wounded on the Western front | ||
| 1918 absent voters list |
L-Cpl Railway Construction Engineers No 2 RE address Long Acre | ||
| Railway Companies | The HQ of the regular railway troops before the war was at
Longmoor in Hampshire and the Special Reserve Companies came there annually
for training using the specialised Woolmer Instructional Military Railway.
During the war, Longmoor, and subsequently part of Bordon, became the centre
for all RE railway and road personnel and at one time also for Inland Water
Transport personnel. Once in France, the sappers would be assigned to a Construction Train, of which there were eight in operation in mid-1915. Each Construction Train would have a complement of up to two complete Railway Companies, with a Captain as officer commanding the train. This enabled the sappers to carry both themselves and all their necessary tools and equipment to and from wherever the next work was required. The Companies would pitch tents for accommodation, as required. Large-scale work would include the construction of the major stores and ammunition dump at Audruicq, ten miles from Calais. Here, and at numerous other locations such as the nearby major ammunition dump at Zeneghem Yard, there was great use of Chinese Labour and R.E. Labour Companies to prepare the ground, ready for the platelaying sappers. Railway company No 2 was raised at Longmoor on 11th November 1914.WO95/4052 NA |
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| War Diary No 2 Railway Company |
Part 2 of the the war diary commences on 1st November 1915
when the company was at Audriuch but by 9th November they had moved to Mericourt
in the Somme area. Given George did not receive the 1915-15 Star, he is
likely to have joined up in 1916 at the earliest. Unusually, the war diary
shows in a margin the names of any member of the company, including sappers,
wounded and/or sent to hospital. These were frequent occurrences, but no
reasons are given! George’s name seems not to appear in any of the
three volumes of war diaries. Between January 1 and May 15 1916 the company
was laying track around the area of Rouen. On 15th May 2 officers and 97
men departed for “war area”. By 20th the whole company was in
back in Mericourt, laying tracks in the Somme area. During July the company
was subject to heavy shelling with several wounded. By August 1916 the company had moved to Buire, still in the Somme area. On 9th September they were shelled with two men killed and several hospitalised including one with “shell shock”. On 23 October the “Company living train” moved from Buire to Shapes Spur. In December the diary notes that as well as working on standard gauge tack, the took over the light railway at Sausage Valley and bottom wood together with a one metre gauge line from Beccordel crossing to Guillemont. This included appointing two station masters and 2 points men at each of Carnoy and Guillemont with gatekeepers at Motauban! They remained in this area until the end of the year. Part 3 of the diary deals with the period January 19 17 to May 1919 when the company was demobilised. That railway work was dangerous is demonstrated by a report of one sapper losing both legs when run over by an engine on 18th March 1917. Men continued to be sent off to hospital at a steady rate in 1917. The company moved around Pas de Paris area laying and maintaining track. On Armistice Day, 11/11/18, there was an accident between a lorry and a train because the crossing keeper had been taken away by Third Army and no replacements installed. One sapper was killed. Gradual demobilisation over the period Nov 1918 to May 1919 saw the repatriation of older men and coalminers. Tracks for gun loops were being dismantled. |
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No army records on Ancestry
WW1 Medal Roll Index card
Family history etc
| 238887 WR/264925 |
Sapper George Arthur Attenborough | ||
| 1881 | Eastgate Worksop: James, b 1850 Bingham Wife: Mary, b 1855 Bingham Children: John W, b 1876 Aston Yorks James S, b 1878 Worksop Joseph R, b 1879 Worksop |
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| 1882 | George born Apr - Jun 1882 Worksop | ||
| Census 1891 | Living at 2 and 4 Eastgate Worksop with: Father: James, b 1850 Bingham Mother: Mary, b 1855 Bingham Siblings: John W, b 1876 Aston Yorks James S, b 1878 Worksop Joseph R, b 1879 Worksop George A, b 1882 Worksop Mary Annie, b 1884 Worksop |
Hairdresser (Master) Solicitor’s clerk (Law) News boy Hawk |
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| Census 1901 | Living at 2 and 4 Eastgate Worksop with: Father: James Mother: Mary Siblings: John W Joseph R Mary Annie |
Railway clerk –Goods Hairdresser - Shopkeeper Railway clerk -Goods Hairdresser’s assistant Dressmaker’s apprentice |
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Married |
Jul - Sept 1906 Married Agnes Strong at Bingham | See newspaper report | |
| Free BMD | Mary Annie married Joseph Wardle Tomlinson in Worksop April-May-June 1909 | ||
| Census 1911 | Living in 8 roomed house, 4
Long Acre with: Wife: Agnes (neé Strong), b 1881 Bingham Daughter: Olive, b 1908 Bingham |
Railway (clerical staff) Sister of Lt Fred Strong |
4 Long Acre was rented from Dr Eaton. (BHTA House histories) |
| Census 1911 | Mary Annie lived at 52 Central Avenue Worksop with: Husband: John Wardle Tomlinson Boarders: James Attenborough Mary Attenborough |
Woodturner Hairdresser (own account) |
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| 1920 (BHTA House histories) |
The Attenboroughs rented 7 Long Acre (left) and in 1935 bought Alma Villa, number15 (right) Long Acre from Frederick Strong, Agnes’ brother, but sold it back to him in 1940. |  |
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| George Attenborough was a founder member of the Bingham branch of The Royal British Legion. | |||
| 1938 Grantham journal | 29th January 1938 Chairman of Wesleyan Choir replied to toast to choir at annual Wesleyan Church Social. | ||
| 1939 register | 14 Council Houses, Nottingham Road, Bingham: George Arthur Attenborough, b. 4 April 1882, married Agnes Attenborough, b. 24 Jan 1881, married |
Railway commercial representative and ARP Warden Unpaid domestic duties |
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| Bingham Cemetery | George died on 20th Mar 1976 aged 94. Agnes died on 12th Jul 1960 aged 79. Both are buried in Bingham Cemetery. |
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