George Edward Nurse
Corporal, 66th Battery. Royal Field Artillery
- Register No.
- 937 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Corporal all Corporals →
- Unit
- 66th Battery. Royal Field Artillery all Royal Field Artillery VCs →
- Date of action
- 15 December 1899 on this day → all of 1899 →
- Conflict / campaign
- Second Boer War
- London Gazette
- the 2nd February 1900 on this day → all of 1900 →
- Born
- 14th April 1873 at Enniskillen, Ireland
- Died
- the 25th November, 1945 at Liverpool, Lancashire
- Memorial / grave
- at Allerton Cemetery, Liverpool
Digest of citation
At the Battle of Colenso, South Africa, on 15th December 1899, when the detachments who had been serving the guns had either been killed, wounded or had been driven away from their guns by enemy infantry fire, Corporal Nurse and several others tried to save the guns of the 14th and 66th Batteries. The intervening space between the guns and where some are of the horces and drivers, who were still alive, were sheltering, a distance of 500 yards, was swept by a rifle and shellfire. Corporal Nurse, along with three officers, Captain W N CONGREVE ( reg No. 241) of the Rifle Brigade, Lieutenant F H S ROBERTS (reg No. 1060), who fell wounded and Captain H N SCHOFIELD (reg No. 1114) helped to harness a team to a limber and then line up a gun. Corporal Nurse, alone, managed to limber up a second gun
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
NURSE, George Edward. (Reg No. 937).
Corporal. 66th Battery. Royal Field Artillery.
London Gazetted on the 2nd February 1900.
Born on 14th April 1873 at Enniskillen, Ireland.
Died on the 25th November, 1945 at Liverpool, Lancashire.
Memorial on grave at Allerton Cemetery, Liverpool.
Digest of Citation reads: At the Battle of Colenso, South Africa, on 15th December 1899, when the detachments who had been serving the guns had either been killed, wounded or had been driven away from their guns by enemy infantry fire, Corporal Nurse and several others tried to save the guns of the 14th and 66th Batteries. The intervening space between the guns and where some are of the horces and drivers, who were still alive, were sheltering, a distance of 500 yards, was swept by a rifle and shellfire. Corporal Nurse, along with three officers, Captain W N CONGREVE ( reg No. 241) of the Rifle Brigade, Lieutenant F H S ROBERTS (reg No. 1060), who fell wounded and Captain H N SCHOFIELD (reg No. 1114) helped to harness a team to a limber and then line up a gun. Corporal Nurse, alone, managed to limber up a second gun.
Additional information:. Second Lieutenant Nurse was the son of Charles and Jane Nurse, of the Cobo Hotel, Guernsey. He had a higher class education course at Chamberlain Academy, Guernsey before enlisting at St George's Barracks, London, in the Royal Artillery. In December 1899 he embarked for South Africa. Under General Hildyard, Brigade Commander he served through all four colonies, including Tugela, Durban, and the relief of Mafeking. He was married to Kathleen and they had one son, Charles T. Colenso Nurse. His promotion to Second Lieutenant was Gazetted on 23rd September 1915.
Updated:24.3.03
Additional information
Second Lieutenant Nurse was the son of Charles and Jane Nurse, of the Cobo Hotel, Guernsey. He had a higher class education course at Chamberlain Academy, Guernsey before enlisting at St George's Barracks, London, in the Royal Artillery. In December 1899 he embarked for South Africa. Under General Hildyard, Brigade Commander he served through all four colonies, including Tugela, Durban, and the relief of Mafeking. He was married to Kathleen and they had one son, Charles T. Colenso Nurse. His promotion to Second Lieutenant was Gazetted on 23rd September 1915. Updated:24.3.03
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Alf recorded the memorial as: at Allerton Cemetery, Liverpool
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