George Ford Purves

George's brother Driver Peter Purves (22150) of the Royal Field Artillery enlisted at the same time as his brother and was in action with him when he fell (there is 1 number between their Service Numbers). Both brothers enlisted in Whifflet, Coatbridge on the 09/09/1914. George fell at the Battle of Morval, 25th - 28th September 1916 : Having broken through the prepared lines of German defence, the British force now faced a new set of challenges as it was now fighting in much flatter, open ground and approached the distant gentle slopes of the Transloy ridges. Fighting was, as before, severe but gradually the British chipped away and pushed forward. The weather began to turn autumnal, bringing rain, making the battlefield increasingly difficult and stretching men to limits of their physical endurance. This was part of the Battles of the Somme, 1st July - 18th November 1916 : A Franco-British offensive that was undertaken after Allied strategic conferences in late 1915, but which changed its nature due to the German attack against the French in the epic Battle of Verdun, which lasted from late February to November. Huge British losses on the first day and a series of fiercely-contested steps that became attritional in nature. For all armies on the Western Front it was becoming what the Germans would call "materialschlacht" : a war not of morale, will or even manpower, but of sheer industrial material might. The 15th September 1916 saw the first-ever use of tanks in the step known as the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. The British army in France is now approaching its maximum strength in numbers but is still developing in terms of tactics, technology, command and control. George was a member of the Carrick Buchanan Lodge of Good Templars. See photo for George's Medal Index Card, his Newspaper clippings, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls x 2, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, his Headstone Report, Grove Town Cemetery, George's Pension Records x 3 and the Royal Field Artillery Cap Badge (representing both brothers). Finally, see photos for George's brother Peter's Medal Index Card, Service Medal and Award Rolls (he is also listed on 1 of George's) and his mention in the Reverend Samuel Lindsay's 1919 book.