Private George Edwin Ellison

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Si
Posts: 4480
Joined: Wed 10 Oct, 2007 7:22 am
Location: Otley

Post by Si »

I don't know if this has already been mentioned before (nothing on the Search facility) but...George Ellison, the last British serviceman to be killed on the Western Front during The Great War, was from Leeds.According to a Timewatch TV programme, The Last Day of World War One (presented by Michael Palin,) Private Ellison was killed in action at Mons, Belgium, on the last day of the War, between the signing of the Armistice, and it's implementation at 11:00, on 11th November, 1918.He was born in 1878, and served in the army before the War, but was a coal miner when he married in 1912. He was called up in August 1914, joining the 5th (Royal Irish) Lancers at the age of 36. He fought at Mons, Ypres, Armentieres, La Bassee, Lens, Loos and Cambrai, before being killed back where he started at Mons, just one and a half hours before the guns fell silent.His home was Edmund Street, off York Street, Leeds, and he is buried at St Jean.Anyone else see the programme? I saw a repeat on the Yesterday channel.    

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Leodian
Posts: 6478
Joined: Thu 10 Jun, 2010 8:03 am

Re: Private George Edwin Ellison

Post by Leodian »

A plaque commemorating George Edwin Ellison was installed at Leeds Station on November 7 2018. At the time it was stated to have been installed at one of the station's entry/exit points but despite looking several times since I never saw the plaque. By chance when going along New Station Street on January 10 2019 I finally spotted the plaque which is above a street map on the wall between the Travel Centre and Pret a Manger, so not at an entry/exit location. The first photo is a close-up of the plaque and the second shows its location. At least being above the street map it should get seen as it took several minutes before I was able to take the photos without people looking at the map!
GeorgeEdwinEllisonPlaqueLeedsCityStationJan102019..jpg
GeorgeEdwinEllisonPlaqueLeedsCityStationJan102019..jpg (176.9 KiB) Viewed 2878 times
GeorgeEdwinEllisonPlaqueLocationLeedsCityStationJan102019..jpg
GeorgeEdwinEllisonPlaqueLocationLeedsCityStationJan102019..jpg (137.11 KiB) Viewed 2878 times
A rainbow is a ribbon that Nature puts on when she washes her hair.

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