George William Tofery was born in Bromley, Kent, a son of John and Ellen Maria Tofery.
When he enlisted for 7 years, with a further 5 years in the Reserves, on 3 April 1907 in the East Surrey Regiment, service number 9206, he stated that he was aged 18 years and 8 months, which would mean he was born July/August 1888. However other records claim he could have been born anytime between 1886 and 1890.
His enlistment papers record that he had been a labourer when he joined the army. In the 1911 census he is described as a Private, aged 25 years and born in Bromley Kent, serving in Z Company, 2nd Battalion, East Surrey Regiment, in Shwebo, Burma (now called Myanmar).
He entered France on 19 January 1915 and was promoted to Serjeant on 7 September 1916. He was posted the regiment's 1st Battalion on 29 March 1917 and to their 7th Battalion on 16 April 1917 where he received a gun-shot-wound to his right thigh on 3 May 1917. He was taken to the Royal Army Medical Corps 89th Field Ambulance where he died on 26 May 1917. His body was buried in Plot 25, Row D, Grave 3 in the Étaples Military Cemetery, D940, 62630 Étaples, France.
His army effects totalling £14-1s-5d were sent to his father at 41 Blenheim Road, Penge, London, SE20, on 28 November 1917 who was also sent his £19-0s-0d war gratuity on 14 November 1919. He was posthumously awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is shown as G. Tofery on the Penge war memorial and is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website and the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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