G. BELLWOOD

FIRST NAMES: George.

RANK: Private.

NUMBER: 4745177

UNIT: Hallamshire Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment.

DOB: 20th June 1911.

ADDRESS: Redhill Cottage Brompton.

MARITAL STATUS: Single.

OCCUPATION: Farm worker.

DATE OF ENLISTMENT: 1932.

STATUS: Killed in Action.

DATE OF DEATH: 10th October 1944.

WHERE BURIED: Brussels Town Cemetery.

MEDALS: 1939-45 Star (Mentioned in Despatches), Italy Star, France & Germany Star, Victory Medal.

George Bellwood was born on the 20th July 1911 at Redhill Cottage in Brompton and was the son of Abel and Charlotte and brother to Cecil Elsie Freda and Winifred. He attended Knayton School and on leaving school he worked on a local farm. In his spare time George played the drums in The Twi-Lite Orchestra, a local dance band.

By 1932 he found life on the farm too quiet and being adventurous type he joined the Hallamshire Battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment . He spent some time in India until war broke out then in 1941 his battalion was despatched to Greece to meet the threat of a German invasion. The battle for Greece was one of the most bitter battles fought in the early part of the war and it was the first time British troops had come up against German paratroops. In late 1941 George's battalion was sent to the Middle East where as part of the famous Eighth Army it was involved in the battles for Tobruk and El-Al Amein. The Eighth Army then played an important part of the invasion of Sicily and then the Italian mainland.

The Hallamshire battlion were sent back to England to reform and prepare for the invasion of north west Europe. On his return, George's brother Cecil noticed that he was obviously suffering from battle fatigue and looked nervous and exhausted, and needed a long rest. However like thousands of other soldiers who had fought in some of the hardest battles of the war, rest was shortlived and like George they was sent down to the south of England to prepare for the invasion of North West Europe.

D-Day. On the 6th June 1944 after months of training George landed with his battalion on the beaches of Normandy He fought with the 21st Army Group under General Montgomery right through to Belgium. It was there on the 10th October 1944 that he was killed in action.

George had spent 12 years in the army of which almost four years was continuous action. George was awarded the: 1939-45 Star Africa Star (Mentioned in Despatches) Italy Star France & Germany Star. Victory Medal.

George Bellwood lies in a Commonwealth War Grave in Brussels Town Cemetery and is remembered on the Lych Gate Memorial at Brompton Parish Church. He was killed, aged 33 years.