George's Story.
EARLY LIFEGeorge Dakin was baptised on 27th December 1885 at Hurdsfield Holy Trinity Church, Macclesfield, the son of Harriet (nee Forrest) and Edwin Dakin, a silk dresser, of Hurdsfield - a silk dresser prepares silk for weaving.
In 1891, five-year-old George was living at 166, Hurdsfield Road with his parents and siblings Arthur (12), Harry (10), Ethel (8), Edna (1) and Bertha (9 months); ten years later, the family had moved to 1 Masons Lane, Macclesfield, and George was employed as a silk waste dresser.
George was educated at Daybrook Street School and he attended Hurdsfield Holy Trinity Church and Sunday School.
On 5th February 1903, at the age of 17 years 2 months, George joined the 4th (Militia) Battalion of the Cheshire Regiment in Macclesfield (service no. 5131) for a term of 6 years. He was described as 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighing 105 pounds, with a 32 inch chest, a fresh complexion, brown eyes and hair, and his religion was Church of England. At the time, he was employed by Messrs Brocklehurst as a silk dresser. Perhaps George later decided that the Cheshire Militia was not for him, as he paid £1 to purchase a discharge from the army on 15th April 1903.
George was for a time coachman to the late Rev. W. Laycock, afterwards being employed as a banksman by the Great Central Railway Company.
George later joined the King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment and in 1911 was serving with them in India.
WW1 SERVICE
At the outbreak of war George was called up as a reservist with the Royal Lancaster Regiment, with whom he had served in India for seven years. George married Mary Ann Williams in August 1914 at Hurdsfield Holy Trinity Church, three days before he was mobilised, and arrived in France with the British Expeditionary Force on 30th August 1914.
During the battle at Hill 60 where his regiment lost heavily he acted as a despatch rider, and was recommended for the Distinguished Conduct Medal for taking messages into the firing line under heavy rifle and artillery fire. It is not clear whether this medal was actually awarded. On 28 May 1915 the Macclesfield Times reported:
Private George Dakin, 1st King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, third son of Mr and Mrs E Dakin, 1 Mason's Lane, Hurdsfield and cousin of Sec. Lieutenant E Dakin, of the same Regiment, has been recommended for the Distinguished Conduct Medal... Pte Dakin... was a reservist and was called up on August 5th. He was in the recent fighting at Hill 60, where the Lancasters lost so heavily, and was slightly gassed. He is married, and his home is 3 House 2 Court, Mason's Lane.
George was killed in action just a few days later on 24 May 1915, around the time of the Second Battle of Ypres. Subsequently his widow received the certificate stating that the D.C.M. medal would be awarded to him. However, no record of this award is included on the D.C.M. honours list.
COMMEMORATION
Private George Dakin has no known grave and is commemorated on Panel ref. 12 on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial in Belgium.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission holds casualty details for Private George Dakin, and he is listed on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website.
In Macclesfield, Private George Dakin is commemorated on the Park Green, Town Hall, St Michael's Church and Hurdsfield Holy Trinity Church war memorials.
The floral tributes laid when the Macclesfield Park Green War Memorial was unveiled on 21st September 1921 included one with the inscription “Private George Dakin, King’s Own Royal Lancasters, from his wife, ever remembered.”
SOURCES
Cheshire Parish Baptism Registers (Find My Past): Holy Trinity Church, Hurdsfield, Macclesfield
GRO (England & Wales) Index: Births
Census (England & Wales): 1891, 1901, 1911
National School Admission Registers and Log-books (FindMyPast)
WWI British Army Medal Rolls Index Cards
Lives of the First World War website
Commonwealth War Graves Commission website
Macclesfield Times: 28 May 1915, 23 Sept 1921 (photo)
The Cheshire Roll of Honour would like to thank H.A.G. Carlisle for the picture and information.
Research by H.A.G. Carlisle, Rainow and Rosie Rowley, Congleton.