George Nelson RAINE, PRIVATE 17084

* Born: April 1890 at Haughton-le-Skerne
* Son of: George and Mary Jane Raine
* Local Address: 54 The Green, Haughton-le-Skerne
* Father's Occupation: House Builder
* Siblings: Six brothers, one sister, position in family 3
* Pre-War Occupation: Warehouseman, Co-op Stores
* Enlisted: 26 September 1914 at Darlington
* Regiment: 8th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment
* Died: 26 September 1915
* Age: 25
* Commemorated: Loos Memorial

George Nelson Raine was born in April 1890 at Haughton-le-Skerne, the fourth son of George and Mary Jane Raine. George Raine married Mary Jane Hardy in 1886 in Darlington. He was from Neasham, the son of a master shoemaker and she was born in Sadberge, although her family subsequently moved to the Whinfield area of Haughton-le-Skerne. As a young man George Raine was described as a bricklayer but by 1901 had become a builder, and in the 1911 census described himself as a housebuilder.

At the time of the 1911 census, George Nelson Raine, 20, lived at his parents’ house In Haughton-le-Skerne and was employed as a warehouseman with Co-operative Stores, most probably in Darlington. In 1900 ‘the Co-op’ in Darlington employed 80 people, had about 9,000 members and was still growing. Apart from large premises in Priestgate – where the Darlington Co-op started in 1868 - it had branches in Albert Road, Harrowgate Hill and St John’s Terrace, all in Darlington.

George Nelson Raine enlisted a few weeks after the start of the Great War, on 26 September 1914 at Darlington, willingly voluteering as so many young men did so early in the war. He gave his age as 24 years 161 days and his occupation as warehouseman. His service record shows that he initially enlisted for the Durham Light Infantry but was almost immediately transferred to 8/East Yorkshire Regiment ORORbattalion of Kitchener’s third New Army, formed at Beverley on 22 September 1914.

George’s Medical Inspection Report shows that he was 5ft 8¼in tall with a 38in chest, expandable by 2in. These measurements comfortably exceeded the requirements at the time which were a minimum height of 5ft 4in and a minimum 34in chest diameter. George weighed 150lbs. His eyesight was excellent and his physical development was described as good. George’s pulse rate was measured at 74 - perhaps marginally high for a young man of 24 but only to be expected as he would surely have been slightly nervous. He had light brown eyes and light brown hair with a fresh complexion. He gave his religion as Church of England. George Raine was duly passed as fit for general service.

The battalion, as part of the 62nd Brigade of the 21st Division, remained in England for almost a year - from 29 September 1914 to 9 September1915 - training mainly at Halton Park in Buckinghamshire before embarking for France. The battalion sailed from Folkestone to Boulogne during the night of 9 and 10 September. The division entrained to Wittes in the Pas-de-Calais region of France where the men underwent field training for about two weeks. The battalion then marched approximately 16km to Ecqudecques- about 8km from the front line - where they were billeted. The Allied Autumn Offensive started on 25 September with a combined attack of British and French troops against the German line in Artois and Champagne. The first battle of the offensive became known as the Battle of Loos (25 September - 13 October 1915), which involved six divisions (over 100,000 men) with two divisions in reserve including 21st Division.

The main attack started at 06.30 on 25 September, following four days of artillery bombardment along a 10km front. 8/East Yorkshire Battalion War Diary records that the battalion moved forward and joined the attack at 15.00 from the Bethune-Lens road to reinforce the battalions of 15th Division. If possible, they were to take Hill 70, which was occupied by the Germans. The area was generally flat and dominated by slag heaps connected with coalmining. Hill 70 was named because it was an area of gently rising land with the top on the 70 metre contour line. The Germans occupied this higher ground, and the battalion came under heavy attack.

The Battalion War Diary records what happened on 26 September, the day that George Nelson Raine died:

"All the night machine gun fire came from the right flank and shells made entrenching difficult – 2 small counter-attacks were easily repulsed during the night. Lieutenant-Colonel Way with a party of 120 E Yorks Rgt and a few of the London Rgt and a few Northumberland Fusiliers made an attack on Hill 70 – the enemy’s trenches were however reached, but the flank fire from machine guns on the left and shells made the Bn withdraw. At 11am the slack heap was heavily shelled and Colonel Way who was wounded ordered a slight retirement to the village – heavy casualties from snipers and machine guns concurred. Major Myles with Capt Moons A Company kept on the slack heap and held their position. Part of the Bn retired at 4.30pm and joined support trenches of 23 London SW of the village and remained all night – shelling by the enemy continued all night. A and B Coys held on the slack heap until relieved by Londons and Gordons at 4pm. The shelling was incessant and particularly during the relief at 6.30pm. Rain was falling throughout the engagement. A roll was called and a Casualty list made for the three days action. Officers killed 4, wounded 11, missing 1. Injured 1 officer, gassed 1 officer, wounded and missing 1 officer. OR killed 21, wounded 132, missing 131, gassed 1, gassed and missing 1, died of wounds 1. The Brigade entrained and marched to rest camps to be refitted."

During this fierce engagement, the battalion sustained casualties of 19 officers and 287 OR. This included the large number missing, many of whom would have been killed on the battlefield or succumbed later to their injuries. Most of 8/East Yorkshire casualties occurred on the first three days but in total during the three week engagement the battalion sustained 320 casualties including 21 officers. These huge losses represented almost one third of the battalion strength of ordinary soldiers and two thirds of its officers.

One of the characteristics of this battle was because many of the deaths occurred in No-Man’s Land (that is, the area between the opposing trenches), and because the front lines remained largely static for most of the war, many bodies could not be recovered for some considerable time. Many never were recovered, or if they were, were often unidentifiable. This must have been the case for George Nelson Raine because he was reported missing on 26 September 1915 and his service record states that on 18 September 1916 – almost a full year later – he was ‘Regarded for official purposes as having died on or since 26-9-15’.

Certain unspecified personal effects were sent to his father in December 1916 and were receipted as having been received by him on 23 December, two days before Christmas.

George Nelson Raine is commemorated on the Loos Memorial. The Loos Memorial commemorates 20,605 British officers and men who were killed between 25 September 1915 and November 1918 in the battle sector between the River Lys in French Flanders and the village of Grenay, near Lens. The thousands of names of the servicemen missing in action with no known grave are inscribed on 139 stone panels attached to the side and rear walls of the memorial.

At the time of George Nelson Raine’s death in September 1915, George and Mary Jane Raine had already lost his younger brother Allan at Ypres five months earlier. They were to lose a third son, Thomas Frederick Raine serving with 11/Border less than two years later. Of their four remaining sons, three also served with the Expeditionary Force and survived the war. One of them, Robert Henry Raine (1886-1943) was awarded the Military Medal. Of their six sons, only their youngest, Joseph Alec Raine (1901-1975) did not serve in the Army during the Great War, because he was too young.
The statement made by George’s mother on 15 May 1919 in connection with the plaque and scroll she was to receive, showed that at that date his brothers Arthur Edward and Herbert William were still serving in France. George’s sister Lavinia had married Robert Clarkson the previous year. Robert Henry Raine, 33, and Joseph Alec Raine were still living in Haughton. The rector, J C Fellowes certified that all the information was correct, as he was to do for many other grieving mothers, fathers and wives of lost Haughton-le-Skerne boys.

George Nelson Raine Medal Card shows that he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British war Medal and the Victory Medal. He is commemorated on the War Memorial Cross in Haughton-le-Skerne and on the Brass Memorial Plaque in St Andrew’s Church, Haughton-le-Skerne.

George Raine is also commemorated along with his brothers on his parents’ gravestone in St Andrew’s churchyard. The inscription simply reads:

IN LOVING MEMORY OF
GEORGE.
THE BELOVED HUSBAND OF MARY JANE RAINE, BORN 10TH APRIL 1859, DIED 28TH Feb 1928.
ALSO THEIR BELOVED SONS
FRED, GEORGE and ALLAN.
LOST IN FRANCE.

IN LOVING MEMORY OF
MARY JANE.
THE BELOVED WIFE OF GEORGE RAINE,
BORN 19TH JUNE 1863. DIED 24TH MAY 1931.