George Newton was one of ten siblings and was born in Oakham and Christened at All Saints Church. He lived with his wife Kiziah at 4 and 5 Lees Yard, Northgate and worked as a bricklayer's labourer. He enlisted with the 1st Battalion Leicestershire Regiment on 18 October 1915 and went abroad on the 20 July the following year. Not long afterwards, in September 1916, George was badly injured during the Battle of the Somme and was brought back to England where he was treated at Bath War Hospital for 14 weeks. He returned to France about the following May and took part in the Battle of Cambrai in 1917. He was in action again when the Germans launched their Spring Offensive in March 1918, during which many Rutland men were killed. George was killed on 25 September 1918, the day after his 39th birthday, between Cambrai and St. Quentin. Private H Exton, a comrade, wrote to his widow saying: "He was killed instantly by a shell in the trench they had taken the day before. The shell wounded six more men...the deceased was well liked and respected by all the lads in his platoon, and was sadly missed." George was buried in a little village just below where he was killed, but now lies in Chapelle British Cemetery, grave I.B.6. He was 39 years old and is remembered on Oakham's war memorial.

We're grateful to John's great-nephew Neil Prince for giving us George's correct date of birth.