Private George Thomas Cousins
Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire) Regiment
Died from influenza
Date of Birth: 1898
Place of Birth: Dawlish, Devon
Date of Death: 5 December 1918 aged 20
Buried: Fraize Churchyard, Vosges, France. Remembered on Seafront Memorial and St. James' Church Memorial Window, Teignmouth, Devon.
Awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal
Private George Thomas Cousins age 20. Born 1898 in Dawlish and baptised on 11 September he was the son of William, a carter, and Susan Cousins. In 1901 he was living with his family in High Street, Dawlish and by the 1911 census he was living with his parents and 9 siblings at 7 Mulberry St, Teignmouth.
George enlisted at Newton Abbot with 8th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment, service number 41754. At some stage he was taken prisoner and died whilst trying to escape into the French line from the Germans; the French hospital noted that his death was from the affects of being a prisoner of war and influenza and gave his date of death as 5 December 1918. This is the sole military grave for a British soldier in the churchyard and he lies alongside 301 French solders. Buried Fraize Churchyard, Vosges, France. Remembered on Seafront Memorial and St. James' Church Memorial Window, Teignmouth, Devon.
