George Reginald Jude

Born: October 1888

Died: 27 July 1916

Rank and Regiment: Private 16727 in the 1st Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment

Resting Place: body unrecovered

Memorial: St. Mary’s, Whinburgh, United Kingdom and Thiepval Memorial, France

George was born in Garvestone in October 1888 to Edward and Hannah Jude (nee Fox). He was the eldest of 9 siblings including 5 brothers and 4 sisters. His brothers Ernest (1903-1987), Leonard (1905-1978), Alec (1908-1986) and Leslie (1910-1981) were all too young to serve in the Great War, yet each of them lived to a good age.

In the 1891 and 1901 Censuses, George lived at home. Although a number of members of the Jude family are buried in the churchyard at Garvestone, George and his family worshipped at the Primitive Methodist Chapel in the village and his baptism does not appear in the records of Garvestone Parish Church. George attended the Sunday school at the chapel and later became a local preacher.

By 1911, George was living at Arminghall (about three miles South-East of Norwich). He was a farm labourer and described as a “Boarder” living with cowman Robert Runicles and his family.

Few of his military records survive, but it was said of him at his memorial service that he was one of the first men from Garvestone to volunteer on the outbreak of war. He enlisted at Norwich and was based in France from 12 May 1915. He was wounded at some stage during that year, but later returned to the front.

On 27 July 1916, he was killed in action at Longueval during the Battle of Delville Wood, part of the Battle of the Somme. His body was never recovered and he is one of over 72,000 men commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. He is also commemorated on the War Memorial at Whinburgh, the village where his parents were living by the time of his death, and indeed were still living at the time of the 1939 Register.

His effects, amounting to £7 17s 8d, were paid to his father.

His memorial service was held in the Primitive Methodist Chapel, Garvestone; there was a report of it in the Dereham Times.

Thiepval Memorial, France