Tomlinson, George Townley - Fusilier

(No soldier photo available)

10th. Bn. Lancashire Fusiliers,

Died 7 March 1943

Age 32

Early in March 1943 the 10th. Battalion advanced towards Japanese held positions in Rathedaung, in the Arakan sector of the British advance in Burma (now Myanmar) On 6 March, the Japanese staged a counter-attack, which was driven off. In the early hours of 7 March, however, they attacked a platoon of 'B' Company, and the platoon was overrun. Soon the attack became general and the Japanese infiltrated through and around the Battalion and cut off the forward troops. A counter attack by the Battalion led to very heavy opposition and, as casualties were increasing, a gradual withdrawal was ordered. Eight men, including Fusilier George Tomlinson, were killed, with 32 wounded and four missing.

George was the son of Fred and Florence Tomlinson and the husband of Susan. He was 32. He attended St.James' Church and School and played cricket for the Church Institute. Before he enlisted he worked at Messrs. Whitehead's Higher Mill, Rawtenstall. He joined the King's Own(Royal Lancaster Regiment) on November 1941 but later transferred into the Lancashire Fusiliers.

George is commemorated on the Rangoon Memorial, Myanmar. It bears the names of almost 27,000 men of the Commonwealth land forces who died in the campaigns in Burma and have no known grave. George is named on Face 9.