George Beaumont was born in Wyoming, Ontario on April 8, 1895, the son of George Beaumont Sr. (born in London, England, a railway employee) and Mary Jane (nee Young, born in Michigan) Beaumont, of 191 Cobden Street, Sarnia. His siblings included Amy May (born 1893); John (born 1897); Julie Martha (born 1899); and Mary Gladys (born 1901, died shortly after). George’s mother, Mary Jane would die in March 1901. His father George Sr. would remarry in 1902, to Rachel Maria Young. They would have two children together, step siblings for George:
Eva Ruth (born 1908) and Lillian Margaret (born 1909). Before enlisting, George Jr. was employed for some time
with Alex Rose, butcher. While living in Sarnia George enlisted on December 13, 1915 with the 149th Battalion. He recorded that he was single and was employed as a butcher. He would become a member of the Army, Canadian Infantry, Manitoba Regiment, 43rd Battalion, with the rank of Private.
On October 1, 1918, George would lose his life while fighting in France during Canada’s final Hundred Days Campaign. On November 13th 1918, two days after the Armistice was signed and with the world celebrating peace, George’s mother Mary Jane Beaumont would receive the following letter from overseas:
Lieut. Smith, 43rd Canadians overseas, France, October 14, 1918
Dear Madame,
It is with deepest regret I have to inform you of the death of your son, Pte. George Beaumont, No. 844052, killed in action October 1, 1918. Your son was killed during a counter attack made on our newly won lines, by the enemy. He was killed instantly thereby suffering no pain. He died bravely facing the enemy and defending the honour of our cause. The officers and men of the company tender their sincere sympathy in the loss of your son and may God assist you to bear the sad bereavement. I am, Yours sincerely, S.G. Smith, Lieut. “D” Co’y, 43rd Can. Bn.
George Beaumont would later be officially listed as, Killed in action. This soldier was killed by an enemy machine gun bullet, during an attack, near Tilloy, France. Twenty-three year old George Beaumont is buried in Mill Switch British Cemetery, Tilloy-les-Cambrai, Nord, France, Grave C.16.
In April 1921, George’s parents George and Mary Jane Beaumont would receive a letter from their son-in-law, Joseph Acton (of the Salvation Arny) who had gone to France to visit their son’s grave. The following are portions of that letter:
The location of the cemetery is in a splendid district situated on the brow of a hill three miles outside of Cambrai. There are about 60 graves in this cemetery, the neighbourhood in which George fell is all under crop now, the grain was about 4 inches high when I crossed the field to the cemetery. I walked over the ground no doubt George had walked many times. I viewed the town from the fields which he had viewed it from, only in his time, the field was all trenches. I traversed the streets leading to Cambrai which George and his comrades had fought in and driven the Germans out, the devastation is everywhere, houses are smashed to the ground. The very trees along the road which leads to George’s cemetery are being cut down while I was there as they are dead being hit with shrapnel. I took one or two pictures which I will forward to you later.
My visit to the battlefield was a wonderful education to me from many aspects. I saw the terrible picture which I had previously only read of. My heart ached as I looked at the many cemeteries everywhere. I was in one in Belgium with fourteen thousand British boys graves, there is another with twenty thousand graves. Another sad part is that many bodies are still being found. I saw 70 Germans being buried which had been picked up the day previous. A lamentable sad feature is the number of unknown soldiers. I went through a large cemetery and read the names on the crosses and found 70 out of every 100 unknown. The parents of these boys must often think of where their Jack is lying….
God Bless to all, Joseph Acton
SOURCES: A, B, C, D, E, F, L, N, 2C, 2D, 2G