Captain George Gerald PETHERICK
1/1st Royal Devon Yeomanry

Date of birth: 29th January 1887
Date of death: 1st November 1946

Died aged 59
Unknown
George Gerald Petherick was born at 30 West Cromwell Road, Kensington on the 29th of January 1887 the eldest son of George Tallack Petherick, a barrister at law, and Edith (nee Berryman) Petherick of Porthpean House, St Austell in Cornwall and of 18 Gledhow Gardens London SW5. He was christened at St Philip's Church, Kensington on the 26th of February 1887.

He was educated at Hazelwood School until July 1900 where he was a member of the 2nd Football XI in 1898 and was a member of the Choir. He was a member of the Football XI in 1899 when the school magazine wrote of his season: - "Right half. Game and plucky, and would cheerfully charge and elephant, but does not think enough of his forwards."

He went on to an unknown school before going on to Trinity College Cambridge in 1905.
On the 30th of January 1908 he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Devon and Cornwall Miners Battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery Militia. This unit was disbanded in 1909 and he transferred to the 3rd Battalion Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry as a 2nd Lieutenant. He transferred to the 2nd Life Guards as a 2nd Lieutenant on probation on the 21st of January 1911. He applied to resign his commission on the 2nd of October 1912 and resigned his commission on the 26th of October 1912.

He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Devon Yeomanry on the 14th of February 1914 and was promoted to Lieutenant on the 1st of July 1915 with precedence from the 22nd of August 1914. He was then posted to command the 2nd (South Western) Brigade, Signal Troop and embarked for Gallipoli where he landed at Suvla Bay on the 7th of October 1915. While on the peninsular he contracted dysentery; he was evacuated on the Hospital Ship "Letitia" and was admitted to Blue Sisters Hospital at Malta.

On the 16th of November 1915 a Medical Board was convened at the hospital to consider his case: -

"Before leaving England he had 5 weeks sick leave from sciatica. His wife's health caused him anxiety. He landed at Suvla on the 7th Oct 15 feeling unwell, after a week had diarrhoea followed by nightmare and insomnia which persisted during whole period of duty, minor difficulties with regard to equipment worried him. Extremely strong restraint was necessary to control his emotion and he had loss of mental grasp. On Nov 5th he contracted dysentery (temp 100) being sent on board the HS "Letitia". Present condition:- general condition good/fine tremors of hands. Knee jerks - hurried action of heart (120). restlessness and twitchings (muscular) Recommend return to England."

On his return to duty he rejoined the Devon Yeomanry on the 20th of February 1916 and was promoted to Captain on the 12th of June 1917 with precedence from the 1st of June 1916. He was appointed as an Aide de Camp on the Staff on the 18th of September 1916 and returned to the Yeomanry on the 1st of May 1918. On the 16th of September 1918 he was seconded for service with the Admiralty and returned to his regiment on the 15th of July 1919.

He was married at Salisbury Cathedral to Lady Jeane (nee Pleydell-Bouverie), elder daughter of the 6th Earl of Radnor, on the 21st of November 1914; his brother John was the best man. They had a son, George David, born on the 10th of January 1917, a son Julian, born on the 29th of March 1922 and a daughter, Anne, born on the 25th of February 1927.

He was appointed as a Land Tax Commissioner for the County of Southampton on the 22nd of April 1938.

He and his family lived at The Mill House, St Cross, Winchester in Hampshire where he died.
 

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