Ian Gotts

Having found this thread describing the failed attack at Richebourg, I can be sure that one of the two men killed and left on the parapet is George Gotts, son of John and Alice Gotts, of Ridlington Common, Happisburgh, Norfolk. Service number 3/7088 1st Bn Norfolk Regiment. He enlisted 09/10/1914 at North Walsham, so I must have a look at the battles he would have been through until 27/2/1917 when he died. He is commemorated on the memorial wall at Loos. One of the reasons I know this, is that there is a Red Cross entry on the ICRC site, where there is a list supplied by the Germans for the day of 27th Feb, where he is listed as found dead at Richebourg L'Avoue, with all his details, though they have listed him as 3rd Norfolks. Presumably there is another entry at Richebourg for the other soldier, but he isn't on the page that I have. I am gradually working my way through all the Gotts soldiers who died in WW1, so it's time to update George's entry. If anyone is interested his details are here: http://www.gotts.org.uk/page250.html I have a few Gottses who were in the ASC, and Sidney in the Canadian ASC who was mainly a driver of horse & waggons, but moved into the Train Reserve for a while. A John Gotts was a London Omnibus driver before WW1, and appears to have driven lorries in ASC supporting the 1st Cavalry Division at Mons and thereafter. Having survived WW1 he got killed in WW2 as a civilian at Shooters Hill when one of the early V2 rockets landed. Ironically, he could have been on an omnibus when he died. http://www.gotts.org.uk/page269.html Thanks for your hard work. Rgds IanG