George Franklin was born in the autumn of 1887, one of eleven children to James and Eliza. James was a farm labourer from North Newton, Somerset, and this is where the young family were raised. Given the rural location, it is no surprise that, when he left school, George followed his father and became an agricultural labourer.

When war came to Europe, George was keen to play his part. Full details of his military service are not available, but he enlisted in the Devonshire Regiment as a Private. Little information is available about his role or where he was posted, and, sadly, the next set of documents relate to his passing.

Private George Franklin died on 10th April 1916, having been suffering from cerebro-spinal fever – meningitis. He was just 28 years of age. He was laid to rest in the graveyard of his village church, St Peter’s in North Newton.