Gannaway, George Edward 152891 (1893 - 1916)

Lance Corporal, 7th Bn. Highland Light Infantry

Buried at Thiepval Memorial

Commemorated at City of Glasgow Roll of Honour at Glasgow City Chambers

Born in Jarrow, County Durham, George Edward Gannaway was the son of Henry G and Margaret R Gannaway. The family lived at 122 Danes Drive, Scotstoun in Glasgow. He was educated at Paisley Grammar School and then the German School at Genoa. In November 1910 he commenced his apprenticeship as an engineer at Yarrows Co, shipbuilders at Scotstoun. He was a student at the Royal Technical College in Glasgow and was studying for his BSc when the war began. He was also a member of the Glasgow University OTC.

He enlisted at Glasgow on the formation of the 17th Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry in September 1914. He went to France in November 1915. On 1st July 1916, thirteen divisions of Commonwealth forces launched an offensive on the enemy line from north of Gommecourt to Maricourt. The attack met fierce resistance and losses were catastrophic. One of them was Lance Corporal Gannaway. When his Battalion went over the parapet that day he was acting as a guide and is presumed to have fallen between the second and third German trenches. George Gannaway is commemorated on Panel 15C of the Thiepval Memorial.

Reproduced with permission from the University of Glasgow Roll of Honour: http://www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk/ww1-intro/