George is listed of dying of wounds incurred on 26th March 1917 at the 36th Field Hospital, El Arish, Eygpt on 2nd April 1917. The Warwickshire Yeomanry war diaries for the Palestine Campaign are not available online and the following is an extract from the book The Warwickshire Yeomanry in the Great War by the Hon H.A. Adderley. Please also see the transcription of three newspaper articles published in the Stratford Herald.
Stratford Herald Articles
Stratford Herald Friday 20th April 1917
LANCE CORPORAL RUSSELL
Mrs. Russell of College Street, Stratford upon Avon has received notification of the death of her son, Lance Corporal G. H. Russell, which took place on 2nd April. He was wounded on 26th March at the Battle of Gaza. He was also wounded in a Silver Bay incident. He remained in England for 6 months. He then returned to his regiment the Warwickshire Yeomanry stationed in Egypt. Mrs. Russell has another son serving his country in the RNAS.
Stratford Herald Friday 4th May 1917
LANCE CORPORAL RUSSELL
A sergeant in the Royal Warwickshire writes to us “It is with very deep regret that I read in your recent issue of the Stratford upon Avon Herald of the death in action of an old chum, Lance Corporal G. Russell. On behalf of the Old Coventry Campers who have spent so many happy days in Stratford I would wish to express our sympathy with the bereaved and our regret at the loss of a real good pal. He was a staunch friend of the late H. J. Payne killed at Suvla Bay in August 1915, a Coventry soldier well known to Stratford. Such real men as these are all too scarce and their memory will ever be with us.
Stratford Herald Friday 22nd June 1917
THE LATE CORPORAL RUSSELL
Relative to the death in Palestine of Corporal George Russell, late of College Street, Stratford on Avon Captain Robert Good of the Warwickshire Yeomanry writes “He was acting as my personal orderly at the time, a position he had filled for six months. I cannot speak too highly of him for both as a soldier and as a man he was one of the best in my squadron. Always cheerful and ready to do his duty and popular with the officers and men alike. I have lost not only a good soldier but a man to whom I was personally attached. We were taking part in a big battle and had just dismounted from our horses. Corporal Russell was holding mine and his own when a big shell burst close to us killing both the horses and wounded him very severely. He never complained and showed the greatest bravery and unconcern for himself. We got him on a stretcher and to the field ambulance at once. He received every attention possible. My duties, I regret to say kept me from seeing him again although I should much liked to have done so.
The chaplain of the 5th Mounted Brigade writes “he was brave good man and there is sincere grief throughout the brigade at his death. I saw him very briefly after he was wounded and he answered to all enquiries as to how he was “None too bad, none too bad. I mustn’t complain” All through the night and the next morning he was just the same, cheerful and uncomplaining.”
