George Booth – Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps

Private George Booth – Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps

George Booth was born in 1905, in Manchester, Lancashire, the son of Thomas Booth and Jane Brown.

1911 Census – Peel Street, Chorlton‑upon‑Medlock

1911 Census

By 1911, George’s father had died, and his mother Jane had remarried John Edward Parry. The family were living at 6 Peel Street, Chorlton‑upon‑Medlock, Manchester. John Edward, aged 35, worked as an Iron Moulder, while his wife Jennie (Jane), aged 38, kept the home. The children present were Jane’s Booth children: Jane Booth (17), employed as a Lither Machine Feeder; Thomas (10); and George (6), both attending school. The couple also had two young sons together: John Edward Parry (2) and Robert (2 months).

1921 Census – Hanham Hall, Near Bristol

1921 Census

By 1921, George Booth was recorded as a patient at Hanham Hall, Hanham, near Bristol. Hanham Hall, a 17th‑century estate later converted for institutional use, formed part of the Incorporation of National Institutions for Persons Requiring Care & Control. These establishments provided residential care, supervision, and structured routines for individuals considered unable to live independently under the social and medical standards of the time. Residents lived in supervised dormitory‑style accommodation, followed daily routines, and undertook basic work or training. George’s presence there in 1921 indicates he was living under formal care during his early adulthood.

Military Service

During the Second World War, George Booth served as a Private in the Pioneer Corps, part of the Auxiliary Military forces responsible for labour, engineering, and logistical duties across Britain and overseas.

Herald of Wales

Accidental Death – August 1940

George Booth was accidentally killed on 22 August 1940, an incident later examined at an inquest reported in the Herald of Wales. The coroner, Mr David Clarke, concluded that Booth, aged 36, died by misadventure after a rifle discharged while he and three other soldiers were discussing the loading of weapons in the guardroom. Booth had loaded and fired two rounds before replacing the rifle, and when he began loading a third clip the men realised one round was missing. A private later stated that the clip Booth handed him may have contained only four rounds, as the magazine was stiff. As Booth pushed the bolt forward and pulled the trigger, a round already in the rifle discharged, striking him fatally. Dr Haydn Peters, deputy police surgeon, confirmed that Booth died instantly from a bullet wound to the heart and lung. The coroner accepted that the shot resulted from an accidental discharge during routine handling of the weapon.

George Booth
Morriston Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Burial

George Booth was buried at Morriston Cemetery, where his grave forms part of the early Second World War burials recorded there.