Son of Edwin and Fanny Laughton of 1 King Edward Road, just off Goldington Road. Edwin was a labourer in a brick yard in 1901 before being listed as a jobbing gardener on the 1911 census. George was also listed as a gardener:

George enlisted with the 7th Bedfordshire Regiment, presumably as part of Kitchener’s 1914 recruitment drive. After training he sailed from Folkestone to France on 26 July 2015 as part of the original 820 men and 31 officers of the regiment.

George survived almost a year in France during which time he was promoted from Corporal to Sergeant.

George was killed in action aged 22 on 1 July 1916 – the first day of the Battle of the Somme – during an attack on the Pommiers Redoubt. He is mentioned in the regiment’s official battle report for that day:

After an intense artillery bombardment through the night until 7:30am, George was part of the supporting company that ‘went over the top’ at 7:32am. He was part of an assault on a troublesome machine gun post that was hampering progress but the report notes that “[a German] officer was with it, who shot Sergt. Laughton and was in turn killed just a second too late by Sergt. Slough”.

George is also recorded as one of four bellringers at St Mary’s who died in the war

Andrew Dennison