George Topping
Rank: Private
Service No: 535386
Place of Birth: Carlisle
Date of Death: 22/9/1918
Theatre of Death: F&F
Age: 23
Regiment/Service: London Regiment (Prince of Wales’Own Civil Service Rifles) (15th Bn)
Cemetery: Pigeon Ravine Cemetery, Epehy
Additional information: Son of George and Elizabeth Margaret Topping of 73 Stonelaw Drive, Rutherglen. An Officer of HM Customs and Excise. Native of Carlisle.
Rutherglen Lore information: Son of Mr and Mrs Topping, 73 Stonelaw Road, Rutherglen.
Soldier’s Effects information: Mother Elizabeth M Topping.
De Ruvigny’s Roll information: s. of George Toppin of 73 Stonelaw Drive, Rutherglen, Surveyor of Customs and Excise, by his wife, Elizabeth Margaret, daughter. of the late Henry Foster of 44 Cecil Street, Carlisle; b Carlisle 6 March 1895; educ. Royal High School, Edinburgh and Skerry’s College, Glasgow: was a Customs and Excise Officer; joined the Civil Service Rifles 5 March 1917; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from the following June; was wounded at the commencement of the German offensive in March 1918 and invalided into hospital; returned to the firing line in July, being engaged in the Allied advance until he was killed in action at the Battle of Epehy 22 Sept 1918. Buried in Pigeon Ravine Cemetery, near Epehy. His Capt. wrote: ‘He was a good and brave soldier and hs services were invaluable to me,: and a comrade, Corpl. Bunting: “I had liked and respected him (as indeed everyone did with whom he came in contact) ever since he first came to the battalion. During the last few weeks our work had thrown us much together, and I had grown to regard him as a friend, as well as a comrade. He was always the same, quiet, willing and always ready to give a helping hand to other.” Unm.
1901 census information:
Address: 25 Russell Street, Bolton.
Father: George (44) clerk in the Inland Revenue, born about 1857 in Burgh by Sands, Cumberland.
Mother: Elizabeth M (42) born about 1859 in Carlisle.
Brother: Raymond (10) born about 1891 in St Cuthbert’s Without, Cumberland.
Brother: Ernest (8) born about 1893 in Carlisle.
Self: George (6) born about 1895 in Carlisle.
Sister: Mildred J (4) born about 1897 in Carlisle.
Sister: Marjorie (1) born about 1900 in Bolton.