5365 Private George Lucas was a patient at Beechland House in 1917 and possibly earlier. His entry in Nurse Oliver’s album reads:
5365 Pte G. Lucas
8th R.W.K. Regt
Tonbridge
Kent
Wounded in the knee 11th Aug 1916
He shares this page with entries from 16534 Private William Chadwick of the 7th KOSB and 9457 Corporal Horace Frank Wood, also of the 8th Royal West Kent Regiment.
George Robert Alfred Lucas was born at Tonbridge, Kent on 31st December 1894.
He was probably the youngest of eight children and appears on the 1901 census living with his family at 15 Hawden Road,
Tonbridge. The household comprised Henry Lucas (head, married, aged 57, a labourer
in a coal yard), his wife Fanny Lucas (aged 52) and four children: Fanny (aged 20, working as a box maker at a powder mill),
Harriet Lucas (aged 16, working as a general domestic servant), Ellen Lucas (aged 11) and George (aged six). Also at the same address was Henry’s widowed father-in-law, David Chandler (aged 77 and still recorded
as a farm labourer).
There were other children too. The census taken in 1891 shows the family
living at 14 Lavender Hill, Tonbridge. Henry is recorded as an agricultural labourer
and three additional daughters noted are Sarah A Lucas (aged 16), Alice Lucas (aged 13) and Francis J Lucas (aged nine). The 1881 census return sees the family at a third address - 31 High Brooms, Tonbridge - and one more child noted – William H Lucas (aged ten).
George attested with the Royal West Kent Regiment at Tonbridge on 4th January 1915 giving his trade as Motor Driver
and his address as 101 Vale Road, Tonbridge, Kent. He was unmarried and gave
his next of kin as his father, Henry Lucas. He gave his age as 20 years and four
days and his height was recorded as five feet, nine and a half inches. His attestation
was approved on 12th January at Maidstone and he was posted to the Royal West Kent Depot. On the 16th January he was posted to the 8th Battalion and arrived overseas on 30th
August that year.
The 8th Royal West Kents formed part of the 72nd Brigade in the 24th Division and it is reasonable to assume
that George took part in the Battle of Loos, emerging unscathed. He gives his
date of wounding as 11th August 1916 but his military history sheet states that he sustained a gunshot wound to his legs on
14th August.
George arrived back in England on 21st September 1916 and was posted to the Regimental Depot. In February 1917 he appeared in the Beauty & The Beast pantomime staged at Beechland House, taking
the role of Languor.
On 15th March 1917, he was posted to the 3rd (reserve) battalion of the Royal West Kent Regiment and was discharged
from the battalion on 24th April as being no longer physically fit for war service.
He was transferred to Class P Reserve (a class used for some soldiers who were selected
to return to skilled industrial jobs while still technically serving in the army) prior to obtaining his final discharge
on 22nd September 1917.
He was entitled to the 1915 Star, the British War and Victory Medals and a silver war badge.
Sources and Acknowledgements
· The National Archives: Medal Index Card
· The National Archives: British War and Victory Medal Roll: GSE/2/103 B3: Page 198:
WO 329/1447
· The National Archives: 1915 Star Medal Roll: E/2/1 B2: Page B150: WO 329/2760
· The National Archives: Silver War Badge Medal Roll: E/972: WO 329/3041
· George Lucas’ partial service record exists at The National Archives, ref:
WO 364/2168
