We thank David Richings and the Harefield History Society for excerpts from David’s book, One Family’s War via their 2022 newsletter, http://www.icsc-uk.co.uk/hhs-newsletter-12.pdf

Can you help us identify George?

In 1871, George’s parents, William and Elizabeth Statham (née Allit), settled in Hill End, Harefield, Middlesex. They raised ten children — five sons and five daughters — in a small cottage community above the lime kilns. George was the eighth child, born in 1885.The children of William and Elizabeth Statham were:

The Statham sons would all serve in the First World War. Walter and William both served in the Royal Field Artillery, Thomas joined the Royal Engineers, and Albert enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers. Only George came from Australia. The 1891 English Census shows the family living at 71 Hill End, Harefield, with their father working as a carter. By 1901, only the younger sons remained at home. George was a labourer, and by 1911 he was still living with his widowed mother, working alongside his brothers.

Elizabeth Statham was a well-respected figure in Harefield. She lived in the family cottage at Hill End for over 60 years until her death in 1932 and was a subscribing member of the Victoria Court of the Ancient Order of Foresters, a local friendly society that provided mutual aid to its members. Her involvement began as early as 1864, and she remained active in the group well into her later years — a reflection of her deep ties to the village and its people.

George is believed to have worked for the Great Western and Central Railway, helping build the branch line from Uxbridge to Denham. He was later found on the passenger list of the SS Kaipara, departing for Brisbane, Queensland in May 1911. He had responded to a large recruitment drive for workers to build railway lines in Australia. That journey brought George to outback Queensland, where he worked in Chinchilla — possibly cutting timber for narrow-gauge railway sleepers in the Barakula State Forest.

The Stathams of Harefield made an extraordinary contribution to the war effort. Widowed matriarch Elizabeth Statham saw all five of her sons enlist in the First World War — four served in the British Army, and one, George, enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force after emigrating to Queensland. Their service tells a powerful story of loyalty, loss, and endurance, stretching from the trenches of France to the timber camps of outback Australia.

Walter William Statham (b. 1874) was the eldest son. Already a Regimental Sergeant Major in the Royal Field Artillery at the outbreak of war, he remained in service until 1917, when he was discharged due to ill health. In 1919, he married Beatrice Hookham, the widow of another soldier, and settled in Northwood Road, Harefield. A newspaper clipping from the Uxbridge & W. Drayton Gazette, dated 12 July 1918:

William Henry Statham (1882–1937) enlisted in the British Army in 1900 and served twelve years in India. When war broke out in 1914, he was deployed to the Western Front with the Royal Field Artillery and served throughout the Great War. He was discharged in 1919 due to disability. His service record was destroyed in the Blitz. According to his obituary in the Uxbridge & West Drayton Gazette, he returned home and ran a small poultry farm at “The Shrubs” in Harefield, where he was well known.

He remained unmarried and lived with his widowed mother Elizabeth until her death in 1931. William died on 1 November 1937, aged 55, after several years of declining health. At his funeral, his brothers Walter and Thomas and sisters Minnie (Mrs Hawkes) and Maude (Mrs Richings) were listed among the mourners.

Source: Find my past, Uxbridge & West Drayton Gazette, 12 November 1937

George Ernest Statham (b. 1885) was the only son to emigrate. He arrived in Queensland in 1911, working on railway construction near Chinchilla. He enlisted in the AIF in 1915, joining the 31st Battalion. George was killed in action at Fromelles on 20 July 1916. His body was never recovered.

Thomas Allitt Statham (b. 1889) joined the Royal Engineers in 1914. He was deployed to France in 1915 and promoted to Corporal. In 1918, while on leave, he married Emily Richings, and after the war they settled back in Harefield.

Albert Arthur Statham (b. 1891) worked at the Bells United Asbestos Factory in Harefield before enlisting in the Royal Fusiliers. He served on the Western Front from 1915 and was killed in action on 8 July 1916 during the opening days of the Battle of the Somme. Like George, his body was never found, and he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

Of the five brothers, two — George and Albert — were killed in action within days of each other in July 1916, in separate battles on the Western Front. Their mother Elizabeth endured the devastating loss of two sons while three others were still in uniform. In later years, George’s sister Maude often spoke to her grandson David Richings of how deeply the family mourned — and how proud they were of all five sons’ service.

The Statham family’s sacrifice is a powerful reminder of the far-reaching impact of the war — not just on one nation, but on families that bridged the world.

George enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 11 August 1915 at Toowoomba, Queensland, joining A Company of the newly formed 31st Battalion. This battalion was composed of two companies from Queensland and two from Victoria, with George among the Queenslanders who began their training at the Rifle Range Camp at Enoggera, near Brisbane. In October 1915, the full battalion assembled at Broadmeadows Camp in Victoria for final training.

Before embarkation, they paraded through the streets of Melbourne to cheering crowds. Minister for Defence H.F. Pearce told the press:

"I do not think I have ever seen a finer body of men."

Source: INFANTRY MARCH PAST (1915, November 6). Weekly Times (Melbourne), p. 32. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article132708935

Their chance would come soon. In mid-June 1916, the battalion was ordered to prepare for transfer to the Western Front. As the date of departure approached, George wrote home from Broadmeadows Camp on 10 October 1915. His letter to his mother, Elizabeth, was full of concern for her welfare and hints of quiet resolve:

On 9 November 1915, George sailed from Melbourne aboard HMAT Wandilla. As the troopship steamed west, some of the Ballarat men in D Company placed notes in bottles and tossed them into the sea as part of a farewell ritual. One such bottle was later found and published in The Ballarat Courier, listing the names of men aboard. George likely watched on, knowing his own message to his mother in England would soon be en route via official channels.

The Wandilla docked at Port Suez on 7 December 1915. The 31st Battalion was sent to Serapeum to continue training and help guard the Suez Canal. By February, they had moved to the large training camp at Tel el Kebir. It was a rough introduction to desert conditions. The battalion’s war diary recorded how the men were transported “in dirty horse trucks,” an experience that tested their patience as much as their endurance.

Source AWM4 23/48/7, 31st Battalion War Diaries, Feb 1916, p. 5

After further moves to Ferry Post and then Moascar near Ismailia, the men grew weary of the sand, heat, and flies. Private Les Smith (934) wrote home:

On 15 June 1916, the 31st Battalion began its move to the Western Front, travelling by train from Moascar to Alexandria and embarking on the troopships Hororata (for most of the battalion) and Manitou (for C Company). They arrived in Marseilles on 23 June 1916 and continued by train to Steenbecque, then marched to Morbecque, about 35 kilometres from the front at Fleurbaix. By early July, the 31st was receiving instruction in trench warfare. On 11 July, they entered the trenches for the first time, relieving the 15th Battalion near Bois-Grenier.

Over the following days, they adjusted to the realities of life on the Western Front — including night patrols, sniping, gas alerts, and the use of grenades. All of this was in preparation for a large-scale attack planned to divert German attention from the Somme. The original date of the attack was 17 July, but heavy rain caused a delay. By the afternoon of 19 July, the 31st Battalion was in position in the front-line trenches.

At 5.58 PM, the men launched their assault in four waves, A and C Companies in the first and second waves, followed by B and D Companies in the third and fourth. The preliminary bombardment had damaged the German forward trench, and by 6.30 PM, Australian troops had taken control of the German’s first line system (Trench B), which was described as:

However, this early success turned tragic. Some forward troops were shelled by their own supporting artillery, unaware that Australians had already taken the trenches. Others were exposed to fire from German machine guns positioned behind their advance. By 8.30 PM, the Australian left flank — held by the 32nd Battalion — came under intense bombardment. Orders came through that the trenches were to be held at all costs.

Source AWM4 23/49/12, 32nd Battalion War Diaries, July 1916, p. 12

Fighting continued through the night. The Australians made another push toward the German support lines, but they were low on grenades and facing withering machine gun fire from Delangre Farm. Some were so far forward that they began receiving fire from both the German and Australian artillery. At 4.00 AM on 20 July, the Germans began a counterattack from the left flank, retaking parts of the line. With key rear trenches undermanned, the German forces were able to envelop Australian positions.

By 5.30 AM, they attacked from both flanks in force. Lacking grenades and exhausted, the Australians were forced to retreat across No-Man’s-Land under devastating machine gun and artillery fire. One battalion account described it plainly:

By the evening of 20 July, what remained of the 31st had withdrawn. From the original strength of 1019 soldiers, 77 were confirmed killed or died of wounds, 414 were wounded, and 85 were missing. Later records determined that 166 men from the battalion were killed, with 84 of those missing or unidentified. Australia’s official war historian, Charles Bean, visited the battlefield more than two years later and reported that Australian uniforms, equipment, and bones still lay on the ground.

George was initially reported missing after the attack. A year later, a Court of Enquiry found that he had been killed in action. The following eyewitness statement was provided to the Red Cross by one of his comrades, Sgt. W. Kennard, A Company, 31st Battalion, 5 February 1917:

George’s AIF file contains a handwritten annotation that corroborates the Red Cross evidence:

Buried in the vicinity of Fleurbaix Sh. 36 N.W.

NAA B2455, STATHAM George Ernest – First AIF Personnel Dossiers, 1914–1920
Several of Georges’s fellow soldiers were later recovered from mass graves at Pheasant Wood and identified through DNA, including men recorded on Sheet 36 NW — the same map reference noted in George’s service file. Soldiers such as Haslem Kendall, Harold Woodman, and Henry Victor Willis, all from the 31st Battalion, were found in this area.

Despite these details, George’s remains were never formally recovered or identified.George’s brother Albert Arthur Statham had been killed only twelve days earlier, on 8 July 1916, in the opening stages of the Battle of the Somme. Their mother, Elizabeth, had already been a widow for 15 years. She never saw either of her sons again. In 1932, Elizabeth passed away in her home at Hill End, Harefield, aged 83. According to her obituary in the Uxbridge & West Drayton Gazette, she had lived in the same cottage for 61 years and was:

She was buried alongside her husband William, who had died in 1901.Although George has no known grave, his name is inscribed on several memorials that honour his service and sacrifice.

George is commemorated at:

In England, George’s name lives on through the efforts of his family. His great-nephew David Richings has worked tirelessly to share the story of the Statham brothers and their service. David also helped connect a family DNA donor to the Australian Army to support efforts to identify George among the unknown remains recovered from Pheasant Wood in 2008.

David paid tribute to George in 2022 with these words:

In Harefield, where George was born and raised, his family’s story is still remembered today thanks to the work of the Harefield History Society, which has documented the sacrifice of the Statham brothers in community archives and local publications.