George Ambrose was born in Hemel Hempstead in late 1891 the third child of Thomas Ambrose and Elizabeth Jane Tripp. Thomas and Elizabeth had two other children together, a daughter Daisy and another son Thomas. Georges’ father had been married before to Rebecca Ann Lane but sadly, Rebecca had died whilst giving birth to their son Sydney in 1881. His father married for a third time following the death of George’s mother Elizabeth in 1891 and with his third wife Annie Maria Sansom, Thomas had seven more children. George’s half siblings were: William, Edith, Lily, Amy, Florrie, Ethel and Leonard who was born in 1907 just a year before George’s father died aged fifty-two.

The family lived on Bury Road in Hemel Hempstead when George was born, and his father worked as a ‘Tanner’s Labourer’ in Henry Balderson’s tannery at Corner Hall. He progressed to a more skilled aspect of tanning and worked as a ‘Hide Dresser’ in 1901 when the growing family was still at 34 Bury Road.

By the time George was nineteen in 1911 he had moved away from Bury Road and was boarding in the Brewers Arms pub at 76 & 78 High Street, Hemel Hempstead, with Mrs Emma Pitkin the landlady. There were ten men boarding at the pub and eight of them, including George, were working as ‘Labourers’ with a threshing machine on farms in the area. The Brewers Arms continued as a boarding house and pub until the 1960’s before closing.

George enlisted in March 1915, attesting at Hemel Hempstead and joining the Bedfordshire Regiment. He transferred shortly afterwards to the 1/4th Battalion Essex Regiment which had been based at St Alban’s, prior to embarking for Gallipoli in July 1915. When his basic training was completed, George followed the Battalion to Palestine in late 1915 and would remain there for the rest of his service.

Throughout 1916 George was with his comrades as part of the 54th (East Anglian) Division as it occupied No 1 (Southern) Section of the Suez Canal defences. However, changes came in 1917 when the 1/4th Essex Battalion fought in the First Battle of Gaza.

The coastal city of Gaza was the heart of the main Turkish defensive position in southern Palestine and this was the site of first Battle of Gaza on the 26th March 1917. Two British infantry divisions attacked from the south while the mounted troops of the Desert Column attacked from the flanks and north. When the attack was launched, the infantry made slow progress, but the mounted troops succeeded in capturing high ground to the north of the city and advancing into it. Concerned by the lack of progress made by the infantry, and fearing the water supplies vital for the mounted troops would not be captured that night, Lieutenant General Dobell, the British officer commanding the operation, ordered a withdrawal at dusk. The next morning, after realising his mistake, Dobell attempted to resume the battle with the infantry, but with the troops exhausted and the Turks having received reinforcements, the attack floundered. The casualties incurred during the action were high on both sides and it was at some time on the 26th or 27th that George was killed. He was officially recorded ‘Killed in Action’ on Tuesday 27th March 1917.

George is Remembered with Honour on the Jerusalem Memorial, Israel and Palestine, Panels 32 to 38

He was 25 years old when he died.

George was entitled to the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.