George Reid (1885-1917)

George Reid was born on 28 April 1885 in Greenock, Scotland, to Robert Arkley Reid (a grocer) and Elizabeth Renton.

George moved to Canada and, in 1913, married Dorothea Eustace. He worked as an insurance agent, but was also a well-known cricket player:

“There is hardly a player or follower of the game on the Mainland but what can remember instances of really clever working the field performed by him. He generally fielded in the somewhat uncomfortable position of square leg and many a batsman who thought he had gathered a clean hit to the leg boundary found the ball resting safely in the hands of Reid and his innings at and end. His unassuming and friendly nature made him a particular favourite with both players and spectators.”

He enlisted on 14 September 1915 and left behind his newly pregnant wife – their daughter, Elizabeth, was born in August 1916. In October, George was wounded by a gunshot to the neck. However, he recovered well and by January 1917 was training to be an officer in France. By February, he was a commissioned officer and in command of a special squad of expert bomb-throwers:

“George’s friends assert that if he displays the same accuracy heaving bombs as he did throwing the cricket ball, that his actions on the Flanders front are likely to prove highly disappointing from the point of view of the strafing German.”

Photo: Vancouver Daily World (1 May 1917)

George was killed in action on 9 April 1917, aged 31. He was severely wounded during the attack on enemy positions at Vimy Ridge and died before he could be taken to the Regimental Aid Post.