George Henry Weinel was born on 24 December 1884, the youngest of the nine children of Philip Jacob Weinel (1843-1902) and Ellen Weinel née Shepperdson (1842-1908). His birth was registered in the 1st quarter of 1885 in the Marylebone registration district, Middlesex (now Greater London). On 28 January 1885 he was baptised at St Mary's Church, Marylebone, where in the baptismal register his family is shown as living at 60 Seymour Street, Marylebone and that his father was a baker.
In the 1891 census he is shown as aged 6 years, living at 60 Seymour Street, Marylebone, with his parents, four of his siblings: Frederick William Weinel (1874-1897) - listed as a scholar; Lina Weinel (1879-1930); Philip Weinel (1880-1925) and Gertrude Weinel (1883-1947), together with a female general domestic servant, a male baker and a male assistant baker. His father was also described as a baker. Of the four older sisters who were not shown on the census return, Ellen Weinel (1865-1950) had left to be married whilst the other three had died in infancy: Charlotte Georgina Weinel (1871-1871); Alice Weinel (1873-1874) and Jessie Weinel (1876-1878).
He was shown in the 1901 census as an apprentice living in four of the rooms at 93 Geneva Road, Herne Hill, London, with his parents and two of his siblings: Philip Weinel - a commercial clerk and Gertrude Weinel - a shop assistant. His father was listed as a foreman baker.
When he completed his 1911 census return form he described himself as a printer's engineer, living in four rooms within at 5 York Grove, Peckham, with his two sisters: Lina Weinel and Gertrude Weinel whom he described as baker's shop assistants.
He was a member of Royal East Kent Yeomanry, service number 908, rising to the rank of Corporal and later to Sergeant. On 7 October 1915 he entered Gallipoli, Turkey and on 1 January 1917 his service number was changed to 270007. The London Gazette shows that having attended an Officer Cadet Unit he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on 26 September 1917 in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He was serving in the regiment's 1st/8th Battalion when he died of sickness, aged 33 years, on 28 October 1918 and his body was buried in Plot 1, Row E, Grave 23 in the Roisel Communal Cemetery Extension, 80240 Roisel, France.
Probate records gives his address as 3 Villa Road, Brixton, and that when administration with a will was granted on 30 May 1919 to his two sisters, Lina and Gertrude Weinel, his estate totalled £299-1s-8d. On 7 July 1919 his army effects totalling £139-4s-7d were sent to Castle & Co (Solicitors). He was posthumously awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal that were despatched to 3 Villa Road, Brixton.
He is shown as 'WEINEL.G. 2ND.LIEUT. E.KENT.YEOMANRY.' on the Quebec Chapel war memorial at the Church of The Annunciation, Bryanston Street, London, W1H 7AH. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, who incorrectly (in 2023) show his age as 32 years on both their records and his headstone in France and on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website, who incorrectly (in 2023) show his year of birth as 1886.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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