George Wilson Pike
Private 35412, Depot
Royal Berkshire Regiment
Division 10
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George Wilson Pike was the son of John Hawkins Pike and Mary Wilson Pike. He was found drowned on 26th December 1917, aged 40. George Pike is buried in a registered war grave number 8055 and this is marked with a CWGC war pattern headstone.
The details of his death were published in the Reading Standard on 5th January 1918.
A soldier for one day – Factory sorter drowned in the Kennet
George Wilson Pike aged 41, single, a sorter in the employ of Messrs Huntley and Palmers was found dead in the River Kennet..
According to the evidence of two witnesses, one his brother and the other a lady friend, the deceased seemed quite cheerful and to them he had made no suggestion of suicide and nothing seemed to worry him. A letter found on he deceased addressed to Daisy Annie Short, in which was the following: “Goodbye, God always bless you”. x x x. Daisy Short in giving evidence said she had known the deceased for two years and had worked with him. He did not seem worried about going into the army. She knew him only as a work mate. Fitted for a uniform and medically examined and attested at the Barracks he had not turned up for a tattoo the following evening, Friday and was reported absent. Charles Wheatley a labourer spoke of finding the body in the River. The jury returned a verdict of “Found drowned” there being no evidence as to how the deceased got into the water.