Geoffrey Albert Pain

Rank 
Private
Regiment 
London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers)
Date of death 
19 September 1916
Age of death 
16
Address 
Maybank
Fairview Road
Chigwell
ESS
IG7 6HN
Address source 
1911 Census
Cemetery / Memorial 
France
Biography 

Born in 1900 at Woodford, second son of Albert (Draper) and Frances Pain. 1901: With his family at Maybank Road, South Woodford. 1911: With his family at “Maybank” Fairview Road, Chigwell. His war record suggests he later moved back to South Woodford with his parents, and the Electoral Roll for 1918 shows them at 1 Maybank Road. An Old Bancroftian, his name was read aloud at the St Mary’s Church Sunday Service, December 1917.

He enlisted during January 1915 initially for Home Defence duties, but in May 1915 he was picked for an overseas draft.  As he was only 15, his father spoke to the Commanding Officer who replied that he would not be sent on active service overseas until he was 19 - much to Geoffrey’s annoyance. In October 1915 his parents received a letter from Southampton in which he told them that he was on his way to France with 4th Battalion of the London Regiment.

Initially his letters were cheerful. In May 1916 he was in hospital at Rouen with an infected arm, but refused the opportunity to come home, rejoining his Regiment and taking part in the advance and battles from July to September. Being a good shot he was a member of the snipers platoon. Another local boy and Old Bancroftian, 2/Lt Frederick Reith Campbell Bradford was previously a Sergeant in this Battalion, and unusually he rejoined it having been Commissioned; sadly there is also an entry for him in these pages.

Following the severe losses at Gommecourt on the Somme during 1st January 1916, the tone of Geoffrey’s letters changed, now speaking of looking forward to leave and hoping to see home before the summer was over. In mid September the Battalion was fighting at Flers, and in action again on 18th September 1916 at Bouleaux Wood. It was at nearby Leuze Wood on 19th September 1916 at the age of sixteen and a half that Geoffrey Pain was killed by shellfire while carrying water and ammunition to the firing line. The Commanding Officer noted that his untiring efforts in transporting such supplies would not be forgotten.

Research by Adrian Lee, Local Historian

Sources:

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Ancestry.com

The Bancroftian

Woodford Times

For more information on this individual please see The Old Bancroftian website.