As part of Southeast Communities Rail Partnership project to produce 200 Blue Plaques for Railway 200, here is the story of George Gibbins.
George Edward William Gibbins was born in Oxfordshire in 1898 to Catherine and James Gibbins. In his teens, George joined the Royal Army Medical Corp as a Private, marrying Elizabeth Gale on Christmas Day 1919. George returned to the army was serving at their Headquarters in Lod hospital in Palestine in 1921. Meanwhile back in England, his wife Elizabeth and their daughter were living with his parents in Kingston-upon-Thames. Elizabeth, now 24, was working as a pantry maid at a hotel, describing herself as a widow, suggesting George’s whereabouts were unknown and presumed dead. But happily George did survive his time in the army and the family were reunited.
By 1939 they were living at a house called Sonoma on Watmore Lane in Winnersh – with possibly four children. George, now 40, had retrained and was working for Southern Rail as an ‘electric track lineman’ as part of the railway’s electrification using the ‘third rail’ system as the region transitioned away from steam.
George lived until 1970, he was 71.
Research and imagery: Danny Coope.
