George Trevor Gregor, VD – Royal Field Artillery, 1st Welsh Howitzer Brigade
Lieutenant Colonel George Trevor Gregor, VD – Royal Field Artillery, 1st Welsh Howitzer Brigade
Birth and Family Background
George Trevor Gregor
George Trevor Gregor was born in 1870 in Swansea,
the son of Joseph Gregor and Susan Bartlett, who were married in 1837
at St Mary Magdalen’s Church, Taunton St Mary, Somerset.Joseph Gregor and Susan Bartlett
marriage certificate
St Mary Magdalen’s Church, Taunton St Mary, Somerset
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| 1871 Census |
At the time of the 1871 Census, the Gregor family were living at 1 Cleveland Terrace, Swansea. Joseph Gregor (33), born in Cornwall, was a timber merchant, and his Somerset-born wife Susan (31) managed the household. Their children were William J. (3), John B. (2), and George T. (1). Also present were three servants: Jane Gammon (19), Catherine Hughes (61), and Catherine Collins (11).
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| 1891 Census |
By the 1891 Census, the family had moved to 2 Richmond Villas, Swansea. Joseph Gregor (53) was recorded as a timber importer, with Susan (51). Their children at home were George T. (21), working as a clerk with his father, Daisy B. (19), and Mabel (18). Two servants, Ann Llewellyn (30) and Jane Phillips (20), were also employed.
Marriage
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| George Trevor Gregor married Katherine Fanny Thompson marriage certificate St James’ Church, Swansea |
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| 1901 Census |
At the 1901 Census, George and his wife were living at 10 Uplands Crescent, Swansea. George T. (31) was a timber merchant, and his Carmarthenshire-born wife Katherine F. (29) resided with him. Their infant son William F. (5 months) was present. Also in the household were George’s married sister Beatrice D. West (29) and her daughter Dorothy M. (4), along with a servant, Elizabeth Haynes (20).
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| 1911 Census |
By 1911, the family were residing at Newlands, Eaton Crescent, Swansea. George Trevor (41) was employed as an under-manager for a firm of timber importers, while Katherine Fanny (39) managed the household. Their children were William Frederick (10), John Trevor (8), Joseph (3), and Katherine Mary (2). Two servants, Winifred Norwood (23) and Edith Fackrell (18), were also present.
Territorial and Pre-War Military Career
Before 1914, George Trevor Gregor was an
officer in the Territorial Force, serving with Welsh artillery units
attached to the Royal Field Artillery. His award of the Volunteer
Officers’ Decoration (VD) confirms many years of efficient and committed
service, typically granted after twenty years’ commissioned service
to part-time officers. By the outbreak of the First World War, he had
reached the rank of Major, marking him as a senior and trusted
officer, well accustomed to command, administration, and the training of
men. Officers of his standing were crucial in transforming Territorial units
from peacetime formations into effective wartime artillery forces.
First World War Service
During the First World War, George Trevor Gregor
served with the 1st Welsh Howitzer Brigade, an artillery formation
equipped with heavy howitzers rather than lighter field guns. These
units played a critical role in modern warfare, undertaking counter-battery
fire against enemy artillery, the destruction of fortified strongpoints,
preparatory bombardments in advance of infantry assaults, and defensive
fire to break up enemy counter-attacks. Artillery service was exceptionally
dangerous, as gun positions were frequently targeted by German
counter-battery fire, aerial observation, and long-range shelling,
placing officers and men under constant threat. Gregor’s promotion to Lieutenant
Colonel during the conflict indicates that he had assumed senior battery
or brigade-level command, placing him in a position of substantial
responsibility during major operations in Flanders.
Circumstances of Death – 1st July 1917
George Trevor Gregor was killed in action on 1st
July 1917, during a critical phase of fighting on the Belgian front.
His death occurred in the weeks following the Battle of Messines (7th–14th
June 1917), when British forces were consolidating newly captured ground
south of Ypres. During this period, artillery units were heavily engaged
in harassing fire and consolidation bombardments, German forces mounted intense
retaliatory shelling, and senior artillery officers were often required to inspect
forward gun positions and observation posts, placing them at heightened
risk. His death reflects the reality that senior officers were not immune
from front-line danger, particularly within artillery units operating close
to the fighting.
Burial and Legacy
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| George Trevor Gregor Ferme-Olivier Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium credit - findagrave |
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