30 Days of Remembrance- Day 19 - George Saville

In memory of
Private
George Saville
who died on November 17, 1915 

Military Service:

Service Number: 412867

Force: Army

Unit: Canadian Infantry (Quebec Regiment)

Division: 13th Bn.

Additional Information:

Date and Place of Birth: November 21, 1894

Cemetery: LA PLUS DOUVE FARM CEMETERY, Belgium

Grave Reference: I. B. 17.

Commemorated on Page 35 of the First World War Book of Remembrance.

George Saville was born Nov 21 1894 in Leeds, England to Edward Saville and Lily Allison. In the 1901 UK census George, along with his parents and 2 sibling were still living in Leeds but in 1903 the family had moved to Canada. On the 1911 Canadian census for Mariposa township, ON, I found Edward and Lily Saville with 6 younger children; 16 year old George was working as a hired hand  for near-by neighbours.

According to his Attestation papers, George Saville signed up to go overseas in Feb 1915 at Lindsay ON. He was 20 years old and working as a farmer.

A few months later in July of 1915, his father Edward Saville also joined the Canadian Forces, at 41 years of age! Father and son were assigned to same battalion.

A clipping from an unidentified newspaper tells of the death of George Saville:

Oakwood, Dec 13 - Pte George Saville son of Mr and Mrs. E Saville of this village was killed by a German sniper on November 18th according to word received here. he was out collect fuel for a fire to cook breakfast, when he was discovered by one of the enemy's snipers and shot. Owing to its being daylight, he could not move until evening and lived only 3 hours after he was brought in.Pte Saville's father is also at the front in the same company as was his son.

 George Saville's Circumstance of Casualty record tells a slightly different version:

George Saville died November 17, 1915.