WELLS, George Alfred
| Service Number: | 5152 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 21 September 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Quartermaster Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | Royal Flying Corps |
| Born: | Surrey Hills, Victoria, Australia, 1893 |
| Home Town: | Sale, Gippsland, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | 1970, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 21 Sep 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Driver, 3rd Light Horse Brigade Train | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Feb 1915: | Involvement Driver, 5152, 3rd Light Horse Brigade Train, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '22' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Chilka embarkation_ship_number: A51 public_note: '' | |
| 2 Feb 1915: | Embarked Driver, 5152, 3rd Light Horse Brigade Train, HMAT Chilka, Melbourne | |
| 4 Jan 1917: | Honoured Mention in Dispatches, Battle for Pozières | |
| 16 Mar 1917: | Discharged AIF WW1, Quartermaster Sergeant, 5152, 12th Infantry Brigade Headquarters , Transferred to Royal Flying Corps with rank of 2nd Lieutenant | |
| 17 Mar 1917: | Involvement Royal Flying Corps |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
George Alfred Wells M.C., M.I.D., also a Captain at this stage of the war, was shot down and reported missing on the 5 September 1918, before being confirmed as a prisoner of war in Germany. He was last seen near Cambrai diving down on enemy aircraft in his SE5 during an offensive patrol with 92 Squadron.
George had previously been wounded, suffering shell shock at Mouquet Farm, 11th August 1916, while serving as Company Quarter Master Sergeant with the 46th Battalion AIF. He was awarded a Mention in Despatches for his service with the AIF, “For distinguished and gallant services and devotion to duty in France from June to September 1916.” He also had a distinguished career with the RFC, and was awarded a Military Cross early in 1918. His citation reads,
2nd Lt. George Alfred Wells, R.F.C; Special Reserve. Military Cross. “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in engaging enemy infantry with machine-gun fire from low altitudes, and attacking enemy aircraft. On one occasion, whilst attacking enemy strong points, his machine" was so badly shot about that he was forced to return to his aerodrome. He resumed his patrol, however, as soon as he had obtained another machine, and on the following day he attacked a series of strong points with machine-gun fire, flying at a very low altitude for forty minutes under intense machine-gun fire and field-gun barrage. He was eventually wounded in three places in the arm, but in spite of this he returned to his aerodrome and landed his machine safely.”
George had been born in Victoria and survived the war, but he also lost a brother in the AIF, 4548 Private James Gordon Wells, of the 21st Battalion, killed in action 29 December, 1916.
George continued to serve in the RAF in England and by 1945 was a Wing Commander.
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