George Robert Travis Carr

War Service

On 11.10.1916 George Robert enlisted in the Army. At the time he stated that he was living in the High Street, Brotherton. Given the service number 242884, he joined the 5th Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers.
His medical records show that George Robert was 5’8” tall and had a chest measurement of 33”.
The following details have been taken from his army record.
11/10/1916 - Home
16.6.1917- B.E.F France
The 5th Northumberland Fusiliers were part of the 149th Brigade, 50th Division and in the period George served with the battalion in France there were no major offensives.
1.9.1917- transferred to 3 / 4 Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment – new serial number 235368 which, according to records was a reserve battalion based at Rugeley at the time.
16.2.1918 - transferred to 8th battalion York and Lancaster Regiment which was part of the 70th Brigade, 23rd Division.
In November 1917 the Division had moved to Italy where it then remained. It completed concentration between Mantua and Marcaria on 16 November and took over the front line at the Montello on 4 December.
It is unclear if George Robert actually went to Italy at this time as dates in his records state that he was in France until 9/3/1919.
10.3.1918 - leave to UK.
28.6.1919 - In confinement awaiting trial for “when on active service absented himself without leave in that he having proceeded to the UK and did not report back to Waterloo Station on 23/3/19 and failed to do so until 9/6/1919 when he reported at Southampton. Plea guilty. Found guilty. Sentenced to 90 days forfeited 73 days pay.
After his leave it is most likely that George Robert would have been sent to Italy and the handwritten note containing dates of postings indicate this would have been on 28/5/1919. Having been on home leave and the war actually ended it is likely that there was resistance to going back overseas resulting in the unauthorised absence.
If he had been in Italy towards the end of 1918 then the Division was engaged in the following activities:
26 October - 4 November 1918: the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, including the passage of the Piave 26-28 October and of the Monticano 29 October.
On 2 November 1918 the Division came out onto XIV Corps Reserve and when the Armistice took effect in Italy at 3pm on 4 November, units were halted midway between the Rivers Livenza and Meduna, east of Sacile.
The Divisional units moved to a billeting area west of Treviso on 11 November. Demobilisation took place largely in January and February 1919. By March the Division had been reduced to cadre strength.
1.12.1919 - returned to UK
31.12.1919 - demobilised - Class Z Reserve.

Family Life

Different records show a variety of names for George Carr and thus caused some confusion. His Army records are listed under the name of George Robert Isaac Travis with no mention of Carr. However, the Record of Service Paper and Descriptive Reports clearly show George Robert Carr. The third initial could be an I or a T depending on the record viewed. The 1901 Census has him as George Robert Toaves Carr. Toaves is such an unusual name that a search of the entire Ancestry database elicited just one entry in the electoral roll for London on 1891. That Toaves and Travis written in long hand might be similar plus the fact that when he got married (see later) the name Travis Carr was used seems to settle the matter.
In 1901 the Carr family were resident in High Street, Brotherton and consisted of George aged 34 born in Little Smeaton, Sarah Lucy aged 30 born in Brotherton and George Robert (Toaves) aged 8. George was described as a ‘Fish Dealer working from Home’.
Ten years earlier in 1891 the couple, who were married in late 1888 were living in Low Street and had a 1 year old daughter called Elma. At that time George was employed as a ‘Coachman/ Groom’.
Sarah Lucy - Nee Watson - was from an established Brotherton Family that had roots in the village dating back to the 18th Century and her great grandparents were Richard Watson (born 1780) and Elizabeth nee Taylor (1786).
The Carr family were from the Hemsworth area, including North Elmsall and Little Smeaton, and they too can be traced to the 18th Century.
As yet the Carr family have not been located in the 1911 Census.
After the War
On 10.10.1916 George Robert had married Edith Mary Buckle at Knottingley Parish Church. In the GRO marriage records George Robert used the name Travis. At the time she was resident in Mill Lane, Knottingley. In 1917 their first child George Cyril was born.
As the Knottingley address was used in records after the marriage it seems likely that this became the family home that George Robert returned to. In 1925 the couple had another son - Gordon W.
George R T Carr died in 1961- registered in Pontefract. His widow Edith Mary died in 1975.