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G/1297 7th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)
George Durrant was born in 1895 in Ballingdon, the eldest of three children of Philip and Sarah Durrant. His father was a brewery cellerman and drayman and the family lived at 44 Ballingdon Street, Sudbury. At the age of 15 George was employed as ‘a brewer’s bottler’.
When George enlisted on 8 September 1914 in Holborn, London he was employed as a waiter. His service record describes him as 5ft 7¾ ins in height weighing 127lbs with a 35½ inch chest. He had brown eyes and dark brown hair.
George’s battalion formed part of 55th Brigade, 18th (Eastern) Division which was formed in September 1914; the early days were somewhat chaotic as the new volunteers had very few trained officers and NCOs to command them. They had no organised billets or equipment. Initially they were billeted around the Colchester area but in May 1915 they were moved to Salisbury Plain where King George V inspected them on 24 June. The Division began embarking for France on 24 July and was billeted at Flesselles.
George was at some time hit by a bullet but he was saved by his bible which absorbed the impact. The Division’s first significant action was during the opening phase of the Battle of the Somme at the Battle of Albert (1 – 13 July 1916). George was badly wounded by enemy shelling during this battle when a shell landed wounding him and several others. He was described in a letter from Captain V. Allen to his mother which was later printed in the Suffolk and Essex Free Press as “a good soldier, always willing, bright and cheerful, and faithful to his duty. He was very popular with all his Company officers and all others in ‘D’ (Company).” George had tended his officer when he was wounded and stayed with him until he died, then returned to his platoon.
He later died of his wounds on 8 July 1916 aged 21at the Australian General Hospital at Rouen. He lies buried in St. Sever Cemetery, Rouen, France. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
A Cross of Remembrance was laid by his grave in April 2012. He is also remembered on Baptist Church Memorial in Church Street.
There were eleven hospitals built in Rouen to deal with the huge number of casualties. There were seven general hospitals, which were in municipal buildings and four stationary hospitals, which were smaller and in tents and huts outside the town. Hospital ships evacuated the wounded to England on a daily basis while nearby camps catered for 2,000 convalescing soldiers.
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