Rennison , George William
'Gainsborough News' photo
G.W. RENNISON
George William Rennison
1093 Corporal, 10th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment
Born 26th June 1895 in Scotter
Son of George (a general farm labourer from Scotter) and Charlotte (nee Taylor; a twin of Grimsby)
Family lived on Sands Lane
Moved to his mother's home town for work
Enlisted at Grimsby on 2nd November 1914
At times when at the front would be 'in the vicinity of a royal prince '
With the start of the Battle of the Somme the 'Lincolnshire Chronicle' reported on 5th August 1916:-
'The news has been received that Private George William Rennison was wounded on July 2nd in the great British drive in France. He was wounded in the bayonet charge and is now in the Wharncliffe Hospital, Sheffield...' (the wound was a bullet through the arm)
Suffered a crushed body after been buried by a shell
Slightly injured and then hospitalised in France 'from the effects of gas'
In 1918, wounded for the 4th time when fighting on the Western front; hospitalised in Ireland and then England
Discharged 9th January 1919 as a result of wounds and received Silver War Badge B111954
Lost a finger on his left hand, had a hole in the inside of the top of his leg, shrapnel in his nose and always suffered breathing problems, particularly when it was a foggy day
Married Ellen Weatherhogg at St. Andrew's Church, Kirton in Lindsey on 4th February 1920
Worked in a bicycle shop before becoming a postman for Kirton and the surrounding villages
In World War II worked as a civilian driver at RAF Hemswell before moving to RAF Kirton in Lindsey
Collected a bomb and drove a truck through Lincoln alarming people who thought it was 'live'
Attended a crash; helped pull out the pilot whose legs stayed in the plane; it was Douglas Bader
His small house ‘was always full of airmen’ and ‘he gave them egg and chips’
Later employed for a few years by S. Drury the potato merchants
Opened a small shop on Torksey Street; repaired bicycles and sold radios he’d assembled
Last job was a taxi driver for Steve Barnard garages which he continued to do well into his 70s
Died 4th February 1978 aged 82 on what would have been his 58th wedding anniversary
Buried with his wife in Kirton in Lindsey Cemetery
Parents buried in Scotter Cemetery
Brother of John Henry