Born: 1897, Shipley
Died: 4 November 1916
Buried: Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt-l’Abbe
Address: 41 Hillside Villas, Otley Road, Shipley
Parents: George Wm & Julia, nee Harrison
Spouse:
Siblings:
Occupation: Warehouseman
Organisations/clubs:
Military
Rank: Pte
Medals/awards:
Rolls of Honour:
Children:
Regiment: Duke of Wellington’s
George Leslie Wailes
George Leslie Wailes was born in
Shipley in 1897 the son of George
William Wailes, born 1868 in
Ossett, and Julia Harrison born
1865 in Heaton. George and Julia
married in Bradford in 1894.
In 1901 the family were living in
Shipley Fields Road. George
William was working as a manager
for a stuff merchants and George
Leslie was their only child.
Julia died in 1910 and by 1911
George and his father had moved to
42 Shipley Fields Road and George
William was working as a ladies
tailor from home and employing
workers.
George Leslie at 14 years of age
was working as an errand boy in a
worsted textile warehouse.
George enlisted on the 9th
December 1915. He was now
living at 41 Hillside Villas, Otley
Road, Shipley and was 18 years
and 340 days in age and working as
a warehouseman.
He enlisted as Private 20156 in the
2nd Battalion of the Duke of
Wellington’s West Riding
Regiment.
His Battalion took part in the Battle
of Albert on the opening day of the
Somme 1st to the 13th July 1916
and rested until the Battle of Le
Transloy 1st to 18th October.
It is not known when George
arrived on the Western Front or
whether he took part in the battles
but he is recorded as having ‘died’
on the 4th of November 1916. He
was 19 years of age.
George is buried at Heilly Station
Cemetery, Mericourt-L’Abbe. The
36th Casualty Clearing Station was
at Heilly from April 1916. It was
joined in May by the 38th, and in
July by the 2/2nd London.
The cemetery was begun in May
1916 and was used by the three
medical units until April 1917 so it
is likely that George died in one of
these clearing stations.
The burials in this cemetery were
carried out under extreme pressure
and many of the graves are either
too close together to be marked
individually, or they contain
multiple burials. Some headstones
carry as many as three sets of
casualty details.
George left his effects to his father
George William who received
£2.5.11d on the 27th February 1917
and a War Gratuity of £3.0.0d on
the 4th October 1919.
Researched and written by Jean
Britton to whom grateful thanks
