Dawlish World War One Project

By 1911 George Gibbings had enlisted with the 2nd Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment and was a Lance Corporal in barracks in Malta. He had enlisted in the regiment ca. 1903 at Teignmouth. His service records do not exist, as far as can be established.
The following press item reveals part of his army experience:
Exeter and Plymouth Gazette of Friday 23 June 1916
“Mr Frank Gibbings of Manor Row, Dawlish, received news yesterday of the death of his eldest son, Sergt. George Gibbings. When war broke out deceased was serving in Egypt. He returned to England with the regiment and was sent to France. After a few months active service there he was invalided home in consequence of a breakdown in health. He recovered, and subsequently went to Mesopotamia. He contracted enteric fever, and died in a Bombay hospital on June 17th.

George Henry F T Gibbings was the oldest son of Henry F and Mary A Gibbings who lived at Chapel Street, Dawlish. George's birth is shown in the March Quarter of 1886 (Newton Abbot district, Vol 5b, p116).
In 1891 Henry Frank Gibbings was a cellarman and his wife a laundress.
In 1901 George was 15 and working as a Yard boy on a cattle farm, and the family with six children had moved to Manor Row.