Rifleman G.A. Tyerman

FIRST NAMES: George Arthur UNIT: 1st Royal Irish Rifles NUMBER: 43253 STATUS: Died of Wounds DATE OF DEATH: 21st March 1918 CEMETERY OR MEMORIAL: Achiet-le-Grand Communal Cemetery Extension, France AGE: 29

George's parents were Joseph and Mary Jane Tyerman of "Sunnyside", Brompton.

He served his apprenticeship with George Cotton, Draper, of Northallerton. He then moved to London where he worked as South African buyer for Messrs. Durant, Radford & Co. of London.

He enlisted in London in 1915 and served with the 17th London Regiment (No. 7288) before being posted to the Royal Irish Rifles. It is possible that he was serving with the 15th Battalion, and not 1st Battalion as there is conflicting information in the available records.

He was hospitalised with trench fever, a condition usually transmitted by lice, and then employed as a stretcher bearer. He had been in France for 18 months when he was wounded , as the Germans attacked the Royal Irish Rifles on the first Day of the German 1918 Spring Offensive. He died of his wounds at the casualty clearing station at Achiet Le Grand, at the age of 29.

George also had three brothers who had fought in France. Sergeant Gordon Tyerman, who was wounded and returned home to serve in a Labour Battalion. He died as a result of his wounds in 1919, and is also named on the Brompton Memorial. Corporal Stanley Tyerman fought with the Seaforth Highlanders and he too was wounded and returned home, though he survived the War. Finally, Sergeant John William Tyerman was wounded and returned home to continue his contribution to the War effort by working in munitions. The latter is the the "John Willie" referred to in Fred Tyerman's last letter home before he and his brother were killed in February/March 1916. Brothers, Fred and William Tyerman were cousins of Joseph, George's father. It is likely that the sole reference to "John Willie" means that he was the only one Joseph's sons who was actually in France in February 1916, when Fred wrote his last letter.