George John Scogings was born in Woodbridge in 1893, the youngest son of Henry and Elizabeth. In 1911, he was working as an underfootman and living at home with his mother and stepfather.

On 25th August 1914, only three weeks after the start of the war, George enlisted in the Suffolk Regiment. As an early volunteer, he was posted to join the newly-raised 7th (Service) Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, and was sent with the other men to their training camp in Shorncliffe, Kent. In May 1915, the battalion were training in Aldershot when the order to mobilise was received. On the 29th, they entrained for Folkestone, ready to board the Troop Ship Invicta, arriving in Boulogne late in the evening the following day.

In February 1916, the 7th Suffolks were at Sailly-Labourse and occupying a trench system called “The Hairpin”. On 26th February the war diary reported:

“Grenade activity near right leg of HAIRPIN. We silenced a sniper and had one killed and three wounded”

One of the three wounded was George, who was taken first to the 36th Field Ambulance, and from there to the No.33 Casualty Clearing Station at Bethune before finally being transferred to the Duchess of Sutherland’s Hospital in Calais. It was here that he died of his wounds on 29th March 1916 and was buried in the Calais Southern Cemetery.

For his war service, his family received the 1914-15 Star and the British War and Victory Medals.