David Burrows George
Title
David Burrows George
Description
A biography of David from his birth in Bangor, Northern Ireland. He died at the age of 21. A tribute was printed in The Spectator.
Date
1945-11
Temporal Coverage
Language
Format
Four printed sheets
Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
Identifier
BWrightSRGeorgeDBv1
Transcription
David Burrows George
David was the last born of the six children of James and Ellen George of Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. The family lived at 14 Dufferin Avenue, Bangor which was not only the family home but also his father’s boot and shoe making business. His mother was a dressmaker. His father was a veteran of the First World War. He never knew his first-born brother Edmund who died at only four days old in 1909. His eldest sister, Sarah, known as Sadie pre-deceased him when she succumbed to tuberculosis in 1937. The third born child of the family was his sister Annie (Anne) who lived to be 99 years old and passed away in 2012 with such fond memories of her brother through to the end of her life.
James (Jim) was the fourth born and lived for 78 years whilst Elizabeth, known as Elsie, was the fifth born and lived for 87 years.
David lost his mother when he was only 8 years old so that it was his sister Annie who accepted the responsibilities for her youngest siblings. She told stories of how well behaved David and Elsie were when they were called in for their supper. It was in 1933 when David’s father re-married introducing David’s step-mother, Lydia, to the family.
[photograph]
Annie supervises David and Elsie on a donkey ride.
David was educated at Bangor Central P.E. School and, on leaving school, entered the service of the Post Office in the engineering department at Telephone House.
[page break]
He joined the RAF in December 1943 and trained in England. On completion of his training he led the cadet parade of his unit and was recommended for a commission with a very high percentage in the examinations.
David spent his last Christmas at home in Bangor where the family now lived at 8 Donaghadee Road. His last letter to Anne was written on Wednesday 3rd January 1945 and records a fondness for ‘Liffy Water’ (Guinness) . . .
[inserted] I had a good time at home over Christmas, managed to keep myself happy when not eating & sleeping by having a few bottles of Liffy Water, Elsie was quite Chirpy on Christmas [/inserted]
It was written from the Sergeant’s Mess at RAF Scampton . . .
[inserted] As you will see I have moved to Scampton now, this is an operational drome & I have had the pleasure of visiting Europe on a couple of occasions. I like it very much here, we are billeted in married quarters & are very comfortable indeed, fires in the bed rooms & bags of hot water for baths & shaving.
The food too leaves nothing to be desired, usually we have a choice of three dishes for dinner, so you may gather we dont do so badly at all. [/inserted]
[page break]
David had met and fallen for his girlfriend Marjorie whilst at Lindholme and:
[inserted] My girl friend, you know Marjorie who I was forced to part with when I left Lindholme was asking for you in all her letters, she too is very fond of children, so who knows I may be a family man myself one of these – I wont say days but soon I hope, yes it is as serious as all that. [/inserted]
He spoke with fondness of his relationship with Elsie’s daughter, his niece Frances . . .
[inserted] Elsie was quite Chirpy on Christmas eve although probably she would be the last to admit it. Both she & Francis are getting along fine, especially Francis, she is quite a big girl, and gives my ego quite a lift by crying when I leave her. I am beginning to think I am no goats toe when it comes to entertaining the coming generation. [/inserted]
Little did he know that this was to be the last letter to Anne as he signed off just 19 days before his death at the tender age of 21 years.
[page break]
[inserted] Well Anne I don’t think I will draw this out any longer, please drop me a line as soon as convenient & let me know all about my latest niece. Cheerio for now, & a happy & Prosperous New Year.
Your Loving Brother
David [/inserted]
It was November 1945 when The Spectator printed a tribute to him:
[inserted] BANGOR AIRMAN PRESUMED KILLED
[PHOTOGRAPH]
Flight-Engineer-Sergt. D.B. GEORGE
ANOTHER gallant young Bangor airman has made the supreme sacrifice. He is Flight-Engineer – Sergeant David B. Goerge, 8, Donaghadee Road, Bangor. Missing since his Lancaster was brought down in air-operations over Duisburg in January last, official intimation has now been received that his death may now be presumed. Aged 22, he was educated at Bangor Central P.E. School, and on leaving school entered the service of the Post Office in the engineering department at Telephone House. He joined the R.A.F. in December, 1943, trained in England and on the completion of his training led the cadet parade of his unit and was recommended for a commission with a very high percentage in the examinations. He had taken part in a number of operational flights. He was a popular young man of much promise and had many friends who deeply regret his death. Sympathy goes out to the family in their bereavement. [/inserted]
David was the last born of the six children of James and Ellen George of Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. The family lived at 14 Dufferin Avenue, Bangor which was not only the family home but also his father’s boot and shoe making business. His mother was a dressmaker. His father was a veteran of the First World War. He never knew his first-born brother Edmund who died at only four days old in 1909. His eldest sister, Sarah, known as Sadie pre-deceased him when she succumbed to tuberculosis in 1937. The third born child of the family was his sister Annie (Anne) who lived to be 99 years old and passed away in 2012 with such fond memories of her brother through to the end of her life.
James (Jim) was the fourth born and lived for 78 years whilst Elizabeth, known as Elsie, was the fifth born and lived for 87 years.
David lost his mother when he was only 8 years old so that it was his sister Annie who accepted the responsibilities for her youngest siblings. She told stories of how well behaved David and Elsie were when they were called in for their supper. It was in 1933 when David’s father re-married introducing David’s step-mother, Lydia, to the family.
[photograph]
Annie supervises David and Elsie on a donkey ride.
David was educated at Bangor Central P.E. School and, on leaving school, entered the service of the Post Office in the engineering department at Telephone House.
[page break]
He joined the RAF in December 1943 and trained in England. On completion of his training he led the cadet parade of his unit and was recommended for a commission with a very high percentage in the examinations.
David spent his last Christmas at home in Bangor where the family now lived at 8 Donaghadee Road. His last letter to Anne was written on Wednesday 3rd January 1945 and records a fondness for ‘Liffy Water’ (Guinness) . . .
[inserted] I had a good time at home over Christmas, managed to keep myself happy when not eating & sleeping by having a few bottles of Liffy Water, Elsie was quite Chirpy on Christmas [/inserted]
It was written from the Sergeant’s Mess at RAF Scampton . . .
[inserted] As you will see I have moved to Scampton now, this is an operational drome & I have had the pleasure of visiting Europe on a couple of occasions. I like it very much here, we are billeted in married quarters & are very comfortable indeed, fires in the bed rooms & bags of hot water for baths & shaving.
The food too leaves nothing to be desired, usually we have a choice of three dishes for dinner, so you may gather we dont do so badly at all. [/inserted]
[page break]
David had met and fallen for his girlfriend Marjorie whilst at Lindholme and:
[inserted] My girl friend, you know Marjorie who I was forced to part with when I left Lindholme was asking for you in all her letters, she too is very fond of children, so who knows I may be a family man myself one of these – I wont say days but soon I hope, yes it is as serious as all that. [/inserted]
He spoke with fondness of his relationship with Elsie’s daughter, his niece Frances . . .
[inserted] Elsie was quite Chirpy on Christmas eve although probably she would be the last to admit it. Both she & Francis are getting along fine, especially Francis, she is quite a big girl, and gives my ego quite a lift by crying when I leave her. I am beginning to think I am no goats toe when it comes to entertaining the coming generation. [/inserted]
Little did he know that this was to be the last letter to Anne as he signed off just 19 days before his death at the tender age of 21 years.
[page break]
[inserted] Well Anne I don’t think I will draw this out any longer, please drop me a line as soon as convenient & let me know all about my latest niece. Cheerio for now, & a happy & Prosperous New Year.
Your Loving Brother
David [/inserted]
It was November 1945 when The Spectator printed a tribute to him:
[inserted] BANGOR AIRMAN PRESUMED KILLED
[PHOTOGRAPH]
Flight-Engineer-Sergt. D.B. GEORGE
ANOTHER gallant young Bangor airman has made the supreme sacrifice. He is Flight-Engineer – Sergeant David B. Goerge, 8, Donaghadee Road, Bangor. Missing since his Lancaster was brought down in air-operations over Duisburg in January last, official intimation has now been received that his death may now be presumed. Aged 22, he was educated at Bangor Central P.E. School, and on leaving school entered the service of the Post Office in the engineering department at Telephone House. He joined the R.A.F. in December, 1943, trained in England and on the completion of his training led the cadet parade of his unit and was recommended for a commission with a very high percentage in the examinations. He had taken part in a number of operational flights. He was a popular young man of much promise and had many friends who deeply regret his death. Sympathy goes out to the family in their bereavement. [/inserted]
Collection
Citation
“David Burrows George,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed December 12, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/41035.
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