George Douglas Brush

George Douglas Brush was the father in law of the contributor Pamela Brush. Before enlistment he was a solicitors clerk. He served during the war in the 5th(Reserve) Battalion of the London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade). He was a platoon sergeant from June 1915 to May 1917. He arrived in Le Havre on 26 January 1917 and kept a daily diary of the combat, but on 17 May 1917 went over the top. Fighting was fierce with many casualties and on 18 May was wounded by a "whizz-bang" in the back and head. He wrote to his parents on 20th May assuring his parents he was well and not severely injured, though having a shrapnel wound to his back. On the 24 May he was sent back to England and had surgery on 1st June at a hospital in Bristol to remove the shrapnel from near his spine. Attached are several moving letters from his family written around this time, detailing their thankfulness that he has survived "only wounded". After he had convalesced he did not return to active service, first serving as a drill seargent from August 1917 to October 1918 and then again as platoon sergeant until Jan 1919 when he was demobbed. He was married 5 years later on 9 August 1924. His brothers Arthur Wesley and Herbert Stanley also enlisted and saw active service in France. Arthur Wesley Brush suffered mentally from all he had endured. George used to attend the annual reunion brigade dinners.