George Henry Jordan was attested as a militia man for six years in the 4th Battalion, The East Surrey Regiment on 6th May 1902. His age was given as 18 years 11 months at the time, suggesting that he was born circa May 1883 (although it appears that he overstated his age by over a year on his application, having actually been born in June/July 1884). Born in St Pancras to George and Mary-Ann Jordan (née Wood), he resided at 12 Chapter Road, Kensington and was employed there as a Porter. His regimental number was 2824.
He transferred out of the 4th battalion on 1 September 1902, presumably into one of the Regular battalions. This date is corroborated by his Discharge Certificate (made out to L-7478 George Henry Jordan (Army Form B.2079)), thus helping to link-up the two regimental numbers. Although his date of discharge to the Reserve is not known, his subsequently employment history would suggest it must have been before January of 1906, thus giving him a maximum of around three and a half years with the Colours.
He subsequently took up employment at Haileybury College as a dormitory servant and lived at Hertford Heath in Hertfordshire
Here he met his wife-to-be, Susannah, in 1906. She worked in the kitchens whilst he worked in the dormitories - although initially he was employed as a Dining Hall waiter, being taken on aged 21 in January 1906. By the summer of that year he had been promoted to Lawrence Dormitory, which also carried with it an increase in pay.
Their first two children, George Henry (1909-1974) and William Thomas Dudley (1911-1978) were born during this period, with George Henry and Susannah marrying at St Luke's, Bermondsey, on 24 January 1909. They had a further son, Thomas, in 1913.
By 1914 George Henry the elder was a Reservist, being recalled to the Colours and posted to the 1st Battalion of the East Surrey Regiment, then in Dublin, some time before early September that year, and most probably in early August. The 1st East Surrey War Diary for August 1914 comments on the number of '3 year men' who were first to join the battalion from the Reserve, and who therefore needed extra training. In particular it mentions a draft of 402 Reservists who arrived from the depot on 6 August and were at once put to instruction regarding fitting equipment and Fire Discipline. The diary observes "About half these men had left the Colours as long as 6 and 8 years, many having only done 3 years with the colours." It is possible that George Henry - who had probably been in the Army Reserve for nearly 8 years when mobilised - was one of these men, which could also explain why he was sent out as a later draft to the battalion rather than proceeding overseas on 15/16 August. (For context, the war diary for 7 August notes that a further draft of 242 Reservists arrived from Depot that day: "Most of these men having left the Colours more recently were better trained and as far as possible replaced the 3 years men posted to Crs.[Companies?] the previous day."). George Henry was noted amongst the college servants absent on military service in 'The Haileyburian", No. 440 Vol XX of October 15, 1914.
George Henry entered the France theatre of war on 4 September 1914, part of a reinforcement draft to the 1st East Surreys, 14th Brigade - then with the 5th Division. Judging by an entry in the battalion war dairy with reference to Landing Returns, this was possibly the 3rd Reinforcement, via St Nazaire. On this date the battalion had just come off the long, hot retreat towards Paris, having served as a rearguard at Crepy on 1 September, bivouacking on successive days at Nanteuil, Montge (within sight of Paris) and Bouleurs on the 4th, from whence it was sent at 11pm to march on Villeneuve and then on the 5th and 6th to provide outposts for the 5th Division about Tournan and Le Plessis, after which the division was ordered to resume the offensive. The following day, the 7th, Captain J K Whish and 98 other ranks joined the battalion, and it is possible (albeit unlikely, as their disembarkation date was given as 24 August) that George Henry was one of these.
Depending upon exactly when his draft joined the battalion on the field, he served possibly at the Battle of the Marne and Pursuit to the Aisne in September 1914 and Battle of La Bassée in October. If he was one of the draft joining on 7 September he would have been in action the very next day, during the Battle of the Marne, when the 14th Brigade was ordered to attack through a wood and across a small river valley the village of Chateau-St-Ouen. The battalion, 'cheered [as the war diary recounts] by the Comdg Officer's promise that today they would have the chance to get at their opponent with the bayonet', fired with good effect from the top of the ridge overlooking the valley on a squadron of cavalry and retreating infantry and was in the process of 'thickening the firing line' when British artillery started to fire along the line of the ridge, forcing the battalion to withdraw, 'robbed of its anticipated fruits of the days operations'. Captain Whish was amongst the day's casualties. Further bitter fighting took place along the line of the river Marne on the 9th, heavy casualties (20 other ranks killed and 95 other ranks and six officers wounded) being caused by German artillery and rifle fire. On the 10th the battalion moved towards St Quentin to bivouack and a further draft of two officers (Lts Macfarlane and Booth of the 3rd Battalion) and 191 men joined. By the 13th the battalion had reached the Aisne opposite St Marguerite, via San Remy and Chacrise. Here they joined the Battle of the Aisne, crossing and advancing across the valley on St Marguerite under shrapnel fire and taking it before passing through the wooded spur above, in preparation for an attack on the wooded spur above Missy the following day. Here the battalion encountered a wired defensive position (consisting of a high wire paling and a barbed wire entanglement around the edge of the wood) and although the makeshift implements found in the village enabled the leading companies to make openings through the entanglements, the attack was held up by enemy fire on the grass track passing up through the wood and subsequently the battalion was pulled back. 'C' Company took part in this attack.
The following days were spent holding the line at Missy, improving and increasing the defence (such as loopholing walls and houses) and, as the War Diary says 'improving sanitary conditions of our surroundings' under rain, sniping and shelling. By the 21st the severity of the shelling was such that houses including the HQ were completely destroyed and a machine gun blown thirty yards out from its emplacement and buried in debris. The battalion finally moved out of Missy after dark on the 23rd September, a further 201 other ranks and two officers joining the battalion the following day; it seems quite likely that George Henry was one of this draft, which would have reached St Nazaire between 2 and 4 September. The 25th and 26th were spent in billets at Jury refitting and receiving congratulations from the divisional and corps commanders for the battalion's good work.
The beginning of October saw the battalion heading up towards La Bassée, a trying journey much of which was undertaken on foot; the war diary mentions in particular the night march covering the 18 miles from Longpont to Fresnoy for its impact on the last batch of Reservist reinforcements - George Henry possibly amongst them. The battalion finally arrived on the west bank of the La Bassée Canal at 4pm on 11 October, where 'A' and 'B' companies entrenched covering the canal, with 'C' and 'D' in close support in billets. The war diary singles out the numbers of French troops encountered and observed "we were all much struck with the swarms of refugees we met coming from the North of France and over the Belgian frontier".
On 12 October the battalion took part in the Battle of La Bassée, advancing to one mile west of Richebourg l'Avoue where they encountered advancing Germans, knocking out three of their machine guns and preventing their recovery. The battalion pushed as far forward as possible and entrenched. Fighting continued early the following morning and the Germans were rapidly pushed back with the loss of men and materiel, at the cost of 4 officers and 42 other ranks casualties. 'C' and 'D' Companies held the front line, being relieved by 'A' and 'B' the following evening, a relief which was interrupted by strong enemy fire and made more difficult by the slippery nature of the ground after rain. The relief was finally completed after daybreak on the 15th and further advances with some fighting took place on 16 and 17 October, taking the battalion to Lorgies and subsequently into Brigade Reserve. This respite was brief as they went into the line again, south of Lorgies, on 21 October in relief of the 2nd Manchesters, at which point the situation on their left was described as critical. On the 22nd the battalion, although under heavy shell fire, materially assisted in breaking up an attack on the King's Own Scottish Borderers on their right for the loss of one machine gun, and, displaying a fine grasp of priorities, saw two men leave the trench under fire to milk a stray cow. Casualties for the day were 1 officer and 4 men killed, and 7 wounded. The 23rd saw the 14th Brigade conform to a II Corps withdrawal to a rear position, 'C' Company being one of three in the firing line resisting an enemy attack in the afternoon of the 23rd and then again on the 24th. The following days were marked by extended shelling by heavy guns, culminating in an attack at 5.30pm on the 28th, during which the enemy got within 100 yards of the battalion's position, and a further attack after nightfall on 29 October. The same day, preparations were made to relieve the battalion with the 2/39th Gharwalis and the war diary noted "The battalion had now completed 19 days in the firing line and in the closest proximity to the enemy by day and night, especially during the last ten days in the trenches. News of a temporary rest was therefore most welcome to all ranks". The battalion also received congratulation from its outgoing and incoming divisional commanders, Lt General Ferguson commenting "No regiment has done better, and in none have I ever had more confidence." The battalion was finally relieved at 5.30am on the 30th, and after some misadventures and further casualties from shelling just as it arrived at its billets, by 6pm finally settled at La Couture.
The beginning of November saw the battalion moving towards the Ypres salient, encountering some men of the 2nd East Surreys, currently on detachment with the Meerut Division, on the way. On 4 November 1914 the 1st Battalion went into billets at Laventie, supporting the fire trenches of the Lahore Division, and took further reinforcements, mainly Special Reservists, prior to going into the line proper two miles south east of Laventie on the evening of 6 November. Save for an attempted attack on the night of the 7th, firing in support of operations on the 10th and the issue of a double rum ration on the cold, wintry night of the 11-12th, the next few days were relatively quiet, the battalion being relieved and marching to Estaires and then Meteren on the night and morning of the 14th-15th.
On 16 November after a brief rest arranged by the Brigadier in consideration of the tired state of the men, the battalion went into the line east of Lindenhoek, in the southern part of the Ypres salient, facing Messines. The battalion was taking over from the 153rd Regiment of the 39th French Division. The war diary observes "The discussion [with the commander of the 153rd Regiment] of the details of the relief took rather a long time as we found it difficult at times to keep our Allies to the point they being so ready to give reasons for everything rather than a direct reply. The relief itself was delayed as the French guides were not altogether sure of their way to the Company trenches, but the Adjutant of the Battalion we relieved was most helpful, himself guiding some of the platoons up."
Describing the lie of the land, it stated that "The German trenches were from 50 to 150 yards from the French and generally on a higher level ; the approach too to the trenches was over a very open bit of ground and next to no communicating trenches which made the relief more difficult." One man was wounded during the relief. 17 November was a wet day with much enemy shelling of the support trenches, claiming 16 men wounded and two dead. The day of the 18th turned cold, with a sharp frost and some snow before the day brightened. There was further shelling around the reserve and support trenches and it is probably during this that George Henry, at this time with 'C' Company, was wounded, one of 605 casualties suffered by the battalion over thirteen weeks' fighting. This was clear evidence that he had been under fire by German guns in the qualifying period and thus made him an 'Old Contemptible' and so entitled to wear the coveted Aug-Nov 1914 clasp on his 1914 Star.
He appears in the records of the 14th Field Ambulance, being admitted on 18 November 1914, suffering from a bullet wound to the left shoulder (described in a much later news article as "shot through the chest' - in later years the children of the family would put their fingers into his shoulder wound as a party trick.) (The casualty list in the war diary gives his date of wounding as the 19th, however this appears to be an error given the date in the Field Ambulance records). From 14th Field Ambulance he was transferred - possibly the following day - to a motor ambulance, presumably for onward evacuation to a base hospital. He appears accordingly in the official War Office Daily casualty List for 14 December 1914, as well as in the casualty lists carried in the Surrey Comet for 9 and 12 December, in connection with the articles "E.S.R. Casualties. Kingston and Teddington Men Killed in Action" and "East Surrey Losses. A Casualty from Frost Bite".
His wife later recalled that her first notification of his wounding was when she read in a paper of his death, before receiving a letter from him indicating that he was at a hospital in Kent (possibly indicating that he was at a prior hospital to that in Poole mentioned below). This is amplified by the December 21, 1914 edition of 'The Haileyburian', (p598), which notes ‘Jordan, the Lawrence Dormitory servant is back from the Front. E.P. Belben [Old Haileyburian] told me he had had a Haileybury talk with him in the hospital at Poole.'
A letter exists from the college dated Christmas 1914 which would seem to indicate that he was on active service, or most probably still in the abovementioned hospital. This would have accompanied some gifts from the college and its members. In the February 11, 1915 edition of 'The Haileyburian' (p.618), it notes that for Christmas ‘25 boxes were sent to the serving College servants, containing a plum pudding, a “College cake”, tobacco, cigarettes and chocolates from the Masters, and a khaki-bound New Testament from their fellow servants.’
The fact that he is not mentioned in the East Surrey Regiment 1st Battalion part II orders 1915-18 suggests that he did not return to the battalion upon his recovery from being wounded. Instead, at some point he was posted to the 2nd Battalion. This most probably took place some time in 1915, on his recovery from the abovementioned wound, and after a period on the books of the 3rd (Reserve) or 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalions. His fourth son, James Herbert Ernest was born in October 1915, suggesting that George Henry was at home on furlough in January of that year.
The 2nd Battalion served in France and Flanders and in the Salonika theatre. The battalion first entered a theatre of war (the France and Flanders theatre) as part of the 85th Brigade of 28th Division, on 19 January 1915. By the end of the first week in February it went into the line at Ypres, losing over 200 men killed, wounded and missing in its first major offensive action on 14 February, and then fighting in the Battles of Grafenstafel Ridge, St Julien, Frezenberg Ridge and Bellewaarde Lake, suffering heavy casualties.
It is possible that George Henry was present for these actions, possibly being part of a draft of 330 men which arrived when the battalion was in billets at Locre on 1 March, although equally he may have been part of the reinforcing party which enabled the battalion to fight once again at Loos, Hohenzollern Redoubt in September 1915 (a VC action for the battalion).
By late October 1915 the battalion was travelling south for embarkation to Egypt and then Mudros en route to Salonika, where it arrived on 1 December. Here, in the Salonika theatre, it engaged in the digging of trench works (redoubts, support and communications trenches) and wiring (the infamous 'birdcage' of Salonika), as well as defending the line and fighting off disease such as Malarial Fever. A draft of 100 men joined in mid-January 1916 whilst the battalion was at Baldza, and it is possible that George Henry was part of that.
The battalion dug and wired more or less constantly from January to April 1916 - suffering its first casualties when a bombstore at Lembet was destroyed on 27 March - occasionally interrupted by 'divisional treks', until it took up Garrison duties at Besch Chinar Gardens at the end of May.
Subsequently it moved to a new divisional area in June, replacing the French in outposts at Lozista on 16 June. The war diary observed that "the ground to the North and North East very swampy and marshy; Mosquitos swarming"; subsequently, the battalion moved to Kurfali on the 25th, where some suspected cases of Malaria were under observation: all ranks were treated with quinine the following day. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Malaria reached epidemic proportions in late June/early July 1916, with 18 officers and 454 other ranks on the sick list compared to 12 officers and 278 other ranks fit for duty. The following extract from 'The History of the East Surrey Regiment', p 141 and 203, courtesy of Ken James, Great War Forum, illustrates: "Several fresh cases of malarial fever occurred each day, the disease assuming epidemic form by the 29th June, in spite of wholesale quinine treatment which had been started on the 26th." p203 continues: "The epidemic of fever which had declared itself in the Battalion at Kurfali, on the Struma front, at the end of June, 1916, rapidly assumed alarming proportions. Work continued as usual on the 1st July, but on the 2nd and following days all ranks were detained in bivouac in an attempt to localize and check the disease. On the 4th 9 officers and 42 men were admitted to hospital, 2 officers and 94 men on the 5th, on which day a shade temperature of 112° is recorded in the War Diary. On the 6th and 7th another officer and 88 men went to hospital, and one man died. Several medical officers visited the Battalion's bivouac and pronounced its sanitary arrangements perfect. The epidemic was attributed to the tour of duty at Lozista. On July 8th the Battalion marched westwards across the Krusha Balkan to Hamzali, en route to Paprat. The march over steep hills and rough roads was executed with great difficulty, the transport being disorganized through sickness; 47 men were admitted to hospital.
The Battalion continued its march at 5 a.m. on the 9th, and reached Paprat at 8.20 a.m. One officer and 34 men were admitted to hospital this day; and on the 10th, when the Battalion was "at rest," 1 officer and 64 men were admitted. Two men died this day. On July 11th, 22 men were admitted to hospital, bringing total sick to date to 18 officers and 454 other ranks. The strength of the Battalion fit for duty was 12 officers and 278 other ranks. Every
possible sanitary precaution had been taken, and it was now hoped that the turning-point had been reached; but for the time being the Battalion was rendered unserviceable, a condition shared by many other units of the Army." It was not until the 31st that the battalion could resume partial duty.
It was possibly at this point that George Henry caught the Malaria which was endemic in the theatre, affecting his health for a long time after the war.
By this time the battalion was holding outposts at Paprat overlooking the Struma Valley, extending to a five mile front from 1 October onwards. In this month the battalion commenced the practice of putting out patrols over the Struma River towards Bursuk, until it moved to Haznatar in early November when it commenced patrolling towards Alipsa, which place it subsequently took. The routine consisted of work on the trenches and breastworks, dealing with the wet ground (Alipsa being on the banks of the Struma and, due the river overflowing, partially submerged), patrolling and occasional shelling from the Bulgarian artillery. Routines for cooperating with the Artillery were also worked out.
The beginning of 1917 saw a similar routine, until mid-January when the battalion, flooded out of Alipsa and Haznatar by the Struma overflowing its banks, was forced to withdraw all save 50 men to Ormanli for several days whilst the water subsided. The battalion was involved in a feint attack at the town of Barakli Dzuma (to which they had been sent in February) on 2 March 1917, the Bulgarians apparently countering with a feint of their own on the 17th. The battalion was finally withdrawn, after 5 months in the trenches, to Orljak on 3 April, returning on the 15th. May saw the battalion provide a 'demonstration' (bringing rifle and machine gun fire to bear on selected enemy positions) to support the successful attack on Essex and Ferdie trenches, and in June it took part in the general withdrawal to the Struma hills, leaving the valley bottom to the cavalry. July saw it in Paprat again for training and in August it moved to Inozeli/Sal Grec de Popovo in the Snevce area to establish a new line and then to Yardemli, followed by Turbes in September. The battalion continued to raid and patrol (for example to Nevoljen and, in the hope of catching Bulgarian patrols, Cuculuk) whilst in the line as well as setting up for bridgehead defence (the 85th Brigade's line in late September being the River Struma, with the 2nd East Surreys defending Cuckoo Bridge, one of two in the 85th Brigade line). A similar pattern applied into December, one notable incident being when 'B' Company had to go out to fetch the body of an RFC pilot and his Vickers guns and other machinery when shot down north of Jenekoj. At this time the battalion was working on an outpost line (the A.W.Line) which took in Nevoljen and Jenekoj, later extended to an A.X.Line, near Orljak. In January and February 1918 the battalion extended its patrolling further and March saw it in the Dova Tepe sector, pushing on towards Dova Tepe Fort, salving the Greek guns from the fort and then demolishing it before withdrawing at the beginning of June. July saw the battalion on Sal Grec Avance, apparently experimenting with land mine warfare in locations such as Rabovo Ridge, New Hill path, Frog Spur, Pin Hill track and York Redoubt. Much registration of various weaponry on targets in the enemy territory opposite took place during the month and through into August, alongside frequent patrolling and training for the attack using ball ammunition and rifle- and hand-grenades. September then saw the battalion advancing its positions to The Patch and Popovo Peak, sending out reconnoitring patrols, and providing covering and working parties before the attack on Doiran on 18 September, in which the battalion moved forward behind the Cretan division and held the line at Henry Point and then the following day forward to Akindzali. The battalion subsequently took part in the pursuit of the retreating Bulgarian Army, gaining touch with the enemy at 6pm on the 25th by Dzumaa Obasi, coming under machine gun fire and pressing the advance covered by artillery.
After the Armistice on 30 October, which found them back at Dzuma Obasi, north of Lake Doiran, the battalion proceeded to Turkey on 12 November and was engaged in disarming the Turkish forts at Rumeli Kavak on the European side of the Bosphorus, as well as sending a detachment to Constantinople to shut down the German and Austrian banks and leave British controllers in place.
For its service in the Salonika theatre the battalion was awarded the battle honours "Struma", "Doiran 1918" and "Macedonia 1915-1918".
At some point during his service, George Henry was appointed Lance Corporal. He also earned qualifications as mounted infantry and as a saddler, as well as the red service chevron indicating active service with the original BEF.
George Henry's Aug-Nov 1914 clasp to the 1914 Star was issued on 19 February 1920. He was finally discharged from the Army on 31 March 1920 - probably after a year of civilian life on the strength of the Army 'Z' Reserve - having served 7 years 283 days with the Colours and 9 years 295 days with the Army Reserve. His character was given as 'Very Good' and he was described as honest, sober and industrious.
His fifth child, Susie Lillian (1920-1970) was born in March 1920, with Amy Francis following in November 1922.
Returning to the college, in the 1939 census he is noted as an Old Contemptible.
He subsequently completed nearly 50 years of service with the college. George Henry Jordan died at the Herts & Essex General Hospital, Bishops Stortford on 2 April 1968, aged 83.
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