Ion Barry George (1882 - 1918)

Born 21 Feb 1882 in Scarriff, County Galway, Ireland

Ancestors

Died 5 May 1918 at age 36 in Prince of Wales Hospital, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

Wikitree Roll of Honor

Biography

Ion George was born in Ireland.

Major Ion George was a Prisoner of War during World War I.

Major Ion George was Wounded in Action during World War I.

Ion Barry George was born 21 February 1882, his birth being registered at Scariff, Ireland in the 2nd quarter of that year^[1]. He was the son of Barry George and Mary Westropp.

Sadly his mother Mary died on 27 April 1885 at age 31. His father Barry died the following year, on 11 March 1886 at about age 39.

Ion and his three siblings were put under the guardianship of their uncle, John Fox George of Mountshannon.

He joined the Military, and was with the Royal Irish Regiment, holding the rank of 2nd Lieutenant (5 January 1901) and then Lieutenant (26 September 1903).

He fought in the 1st World War, attaining the rank of Captain and then Major with the Royal Irish Regiment, 18th Battalion. He was wounded it Mons in 1914, an account of which was published on page 3 of the Kilkenny Moderator dated 23 September 1914:

CAPTAIN J. BARRY GEORGE.

The many friends of Captain J. B. George, of the Royal Irish Regiment, who was reported as missing and badly wounded, will be glad to hear that he is safe in a Red Cross Hospital at Mons. Captain George's relatives have received from him a letter, in which he states that he has a bad wound in the left knee, but is otherwise perfectly fit, and has the best of care. He adds:- "I had bad luck. I was knocked out in the first half-hour. We had four killed and four wounded on the first day, as far as I know; may be more. I was two days in a German hospital. They could not have treated me better had I been the Crown Prince, from the lowest orderly to the senior medical officer. I hope you will tell this to anyone who is running down the Germans."

Captain George is well known to hunting people in the South of Ireland, and in sporting circles generally. A few years ago, with his horse, Reactive, he won twice in succession the Lord Lieutenant's Cup at the Irish Army Point-to-Point Races, as well as several other events across country.^[2]

Upon his recovery, he was then held in Germany as a Prisoner of War. On 16 October 1915 it was reported on page 5 of the Kilkenny Moderator that "Captain Barry George, his many friends will learn with pleasure, has almost completely recovered from his wounds, but they will no less regret that his recovery entails his further detention in the enemy's country. He expressed to Private Moore the delight he felt that Captain J.A. Smithwick, J.P., had been released and hoped that he was well on the way to recovery, and also that he himself would soon be back in the old land."^[3]

He was eventually released back to England and his residence was given as 7 Wilton Terrace, Dublin, Ireland when he died in Prince of Wales Hospital, Middlesex, England on 5 May 1918, aged 36. Ion was buried on 9 May 1918 at Brookwood Military Cemetery, Brookwood, Woking Borough, Surrey, England^[4][5]. PLOT: VI. A. 6.

Inscription:

MAJOR

I. B. GEORGE

ROYAL IRISH REGIMENT

5TH MAY 1918 AGE 36

OBITUARY

Kilkenny Moderator 11 May 1918, page 3:

ROLL OF HONOUR.

Death of Major lon Barry George.

The death of Major lon Barry George, Royal Irish Regiment, which has just been announced as having taken place at a hospital for wounded officers in London, will be learned of with sincere regret by many in Kilkenny. The late Major George, who was in his thirty-sixth year, was for a number of years stationed in this city with the Royal Irish Regiment, and was extremely popular, especially in sporting circles. He was a keen all-round sportsman, and was a prominent and well-known figure in the hunting field, where he was noted for his splendid horsemanship. In the early stages of the war he was wounded and taken prisoner, and it was only quite recently that he was released from Germany - released to die, as was his gallant brother officer of the Royal Irish Regiment, the late Captain James Smithwick, J.P. A young Kilkenny soldier belonging to the R.A.M.C., who was amongst the first batch of exchanged prisoners to be released from Germany, related on his arrival home his meeting with Major Barry George, who evidently was included in that particular group for release. The gallant Major, who by nature was of that rollicking, care-free temperament so typical of the Irish officer-sportsman, was in high spirits at the prospect of his release from the land of the Hun, and spoke gleefully of the "good time" he would again spend amongst his friends when he came back to dear old Kilkenny - a desire which, alas was never fulfilled. However, he experienced the disappointment of being "so near and yet so far," for on re-examination before embarking for England he was turned down and was taken back again to Germany. If he was then considered fit for further service it is evident that the treatment he received in the interval at the hands of his captors, and not his wounds, hastened his death.^[6]

His Will was proved at Dublin to his brother Richard Westropp George, Civil Engineer, the sole Executor^[7]. Effects: £2174 10s. 6d. in England. Sealed London 4 December

Sources

1. ↑ "Ireland Civil Registration Indexes, 1845-1958," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FBWR-Z6B : 10 March 2018), BIRTHS entry for Ion Barry George; citing Scarriff, Apr - Jun 1882, vol. 4, p. 422, General Registry, Custom House, Dublin; FHL microfilm 101,058.
2. ↑ Kilkenny Moderator 23 September 1914, page 3 https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0002957%2f19140923%2f035&stringtohighlight=barry%20george (requires subscription)
3. ↑ Kilkenny Moderator 16 October 1915, page 5, https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0002957%2f19151016%2f080&stringtohighlight=barry%20george (requires subscription)
4. ↑ "England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:CFRJ-NK2M : 18 February 2023), Ion Barry George, 1918.
5. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/17663771/ion-barry-george: accessed 14 April 2023), memorial page for Major Ion Barry George (unknown–5 May 1918), Find A Grave: Memorial #17663771, citing Brookwood Military Cemetery, Brookwood, Woking Borough, Surrey, England; Maintained by: Find a Grave
6. ↑ Kilkenny Moderator 11 May 1918, page 3 https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0002957%2f19180511%2f042&stringtohighlight=barry%20george (requires subscription)
7. ↑ "England and Wales, National Index of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1957," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPLC-4L85 : 17 September 2018), Ion Barry George, 4 Dec 1918; citing Probate, United Kingdom, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Great Britain.; FHL microfilm

• https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/398505/ion-barry-george/