George Donkin aged 17 years
4th from Right
Photo: CLS Heritage Group
William Kirby and Brenda McMahon have submitted the following:-
George was the elder son of Mathew Chalder Donkin and his wife Barbara (nee Young) born on the 5th May 1897 at Haswell, Durham. He was baptised at Brougham St Primitive Methodist church on the 30th May 1897.
He had a younger brother, Thomas, who also fought in but survived the Great War. Thomas went on to marry and have a family of his own.
The Donkin family lived at 11 Dunsany Terrace, Pelton Fell. Matthew (father) was a coal miner hewer.
The 1911 census show the family together but his father had been promoted to miner, master shifter below ground.
Only a few months after the 1911 census and aged just 14 years George started working at Pelton Fell Colliery.
When war broke out he enlisted at Chester-le-Street in 1914. He originally served as 365107 Cyclist, 2/1st Northern Cyclist Battalion. Then later promoted to Lieutenant Corporal. He served there for 3 years and 5 months.
George was very tall for that time as being almost 6’ tall, brown hair, blue eyes, medium complexion. His religion was Church of England.
On 1st December 1916 he was admitted to Wainfleet Hospital with cellulite of the knee and was treated for 9 days before being discharged.
George enrolled at Blandford on June 17th 1917 and transferred to Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve then Royal Naval Division.
George could swim but had no sea experience as there weren’t enough ships for the recruits. George never went onboard a sea vessel. Instead he fought alongside the army under the Royal Navy banner.
On July 10th 1917 George left Folkestone to join the British Expeditionary Force for the Western Front in France. He disembarked in Boulogne and arrived at his Anson battalion base depot at Calais. His character was rated as being ‘very good’.
There is a note on some documentation written by his mother, Barbara that “George went to France with ”63rd (Royal Naval Division) on this date” ie 10th July 1917.
George was on the front line at Villers Plouich, France. The Anson war battalion diary showed the men standing in freezing water “up to waist high in places”. His mother noted in her diary George had been “wounded” and was “suffering from severe trench feet”. By January 18th 1918 he was put into a field hospital (ie 10 General Hospital) at Rouen but his trench feet developed again by mid March. However' he was able to return to active service on April 2nd 1918.
George was serving on August 1st 1918 in Authie, Somme, France he was 21 years old. The 63rd Division left Authie de la Haie on August 20th 1918. Their objective at that time was to secure the railway at Achiet-le–Grand: Intelligence Summary of action explains the forces became involved in exhausting fighting (many support tanks were lost) and failed to make headway.
George Was killed in action on August 21st 1918, the first day of what became known as “The Battle of Albert” (21–23 August 1918), a phase of the Second Battle of the Somme 1918.
In Ropery Lane Cemetery Chester le Street is a family headstone (H141) which reads:-
Sacred to the memory of Matthew C. Donkin dearly beloved husband of Barbara Donkin who died 25th August 1924 aged 51 years
Also the above Barbara died May 3rd 1937 aged 59 years
Also of George son of the above died in action in France 21st August 1918 aged 21 years
At rest
George Donkin is remembered in Chester-le-Street on C105.01, C105.12, C105.15 and C105.40, at Pelton on P26.01 and at Pelton Fell on P27.01 and P27.04
