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George Jarvis McKenzie
23448, Private, 14th The King’s (Liverpool Regiment)
Killed in action, 30 August 1917, aged 32
Buried at Karasouli Military Cemetery, Greece
CWGC registered (no family details)
George Jarvis McKenzie was born in Liverpool on 22 July 1885. He was the son of Andrew McKenzie, a tailor, and Jesse McKenzie (née Jarvis). Jesse McKenzie died in 1888 and the Census for 1891 recorded Andrew McKenzie living at 23 Brickfield Street, Liverpool with his two sons Frances (1) and George (5) and his mother-in-law, Jemima Jarvis, and her two daughters Annie and Kate. The Census of Wales for 1901 indicates that George was working as an errand boy, resident in Llandudno at 31 Jubilee Street, the home of his aunt and uncle, James and Georgina Wilkinson. Ten years later, George still lived with his uncle and aunt in Llandudno and had been joined by his grandmother Jemima Jarvis – he was recorded as an unemployed labourer; at the same time, his father was still a tailor in Liverpool. George later worked as a carriage cleaner for the London and North Western Railway. He was admitted to the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants on 13 October 1912 at Llandudno Junction.
A memorandum dated 20 November 1914 certified that George Jarvis McKenzie and Joseph Foulkes (qv) had been given permission by their employer, the LNWR, to enlist for active service. The following day, both joined the King’s (Liverpool Regiment) at Liverpool and were given consecutive regimental numbers: 23448 and 23449. On 1 December 1914, both were posted to the 14th (Service) Battalion which had formed at Seaforth in October 1914 as part of K3, Kitchener’s third new army. The battalion disembarked at Boulogne on 5 September 1915 only to embark at Marseilles on 28 October 1915 for the Balkans. It disembarked at Salonika on 6 November 1915. On 10 September 1916 whilst in the Balkans, George was taken ill with malaria and evacuated to hospital in Malta, reaching there on 18 November 1916. He embarked again for Salonika on 4 March 1917 but on arrival was readmitted to hospital twice for malaria, joining his unit for the last time on 17 July 1917.
George Jarvis McKenzie was killed in action on 30 August 1917 aged 32. He is presently buried at Karasouli Military Cemetery, Polykastro, Greece though he had previously been interred at Kalinova Military Cemetery in Serbia, now in modern-day Macedonia, his body being transferred in 1920. He may have been transferred to Kalinova the previous year from yet another cemetery or burial place but that is presently unknown.
Known memorials:
- Llandudno Roll of Honour
- Llandudno War Memorial
- Memorial Chapel, Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno
- Llanrhos Parish War Memorial, All Saints’ Church, Deganwy
- The London and North Western Railway Roll of Honour
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