BSM George Dorrell VC

George Thomas Dorrell was born in Paddington on 7 July 1880. He enlisted on 2 Dec 1895 at the age of 15, having to lie about his age. He served in the Boer War and in India. He reached the rank of Battery Sergeant Major in 1911, and was married in 1914, to Lucy Frost; they had three children. He was BSM of L Battery at Néry on 1 Sep 1914 when the British were under a heavy attack by the Germans. His officer, Captain Bradbury was mortally wounded so he manned the last gun in action with Sergeant Nelson. They continued under heavy fire, until the ammunition ran out. Bradbury, Dorrell and Nelson were all awarded the VC and he and Nelson received their medals from the King on 13 Jan 1915. By the summer of 1915 he was commissioned as a lieutenant, commanding batteries in the RA until the end of the war. He retired on 23 Sep 1921 with the rank of major, and awarded the MBE in 1925. In WW2 he served in the Home Guard. He died at Cobham, Surrey on 7 Jan 1971 and was cremated at Leatherhead.

Regimental Details | Soldiers