Peterborough & The Great War

Biography

George Newbould has proven difficult to trace but he has a very interesting past.  It is believed he is George Newbould, born in Bradford in 1885 to parents Robinson, a wheelwright, and Jane.  He was the youngest of four children.

George was a grocers assistant at the age of 16 and a gas meter inspector ten years later.  He appears to have signed up for the Royal Naval Division (RND).  He passed through Peterborough East Station and signed the visitors’ book on 1 August 1917.  His entry reveals he was a Prisoner of War and ‘interred Groningen’, Holland.  His death is recorded at Sheffield, in 1922, aged 34.

At the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914, there was a surplus of some 20-30,000 men of the Royal Navy Reserves and they were formed into two Naval Brigades and a Brigade of Marines for operations on land.  These Brigades were sent to support Belgium but were inadequately trained, lightly armed and quickly forced to retreat.  Approximately 1500 men marched into neutral Holland and were interned at Groningen, Northern Holland where they remained until the end of the war.   http://bit.ly/2pw0dPC

So how did George Newbould manage to sign our book in 1917?  It appears that the men were granted leave back to the UK, around 300 at a time with a promise to return.  Interestingly, The Stamford Mercury from late 1914 published an account of seven British Officers who ‘desired to leave their parole’ from the Dutch authorities and managed to return to the UK.  They were eventually returned to Groningen and transferred from the camp ‘to a fortress’.

Do you recognise this name – can you tell us more?  Please get in touch if you can help?