George Leonard Kirby

Born in Easington, he worked as a miner before he enlisted in 10 DLI in 1914, aged 18 years. He was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in 1917, before he was badly wounded in October 1917 at Passchendaele and had to have both legs amputated. After his recovery, he returned to work at Easington Colliery. In 1937, he moved with his wife to Luton and was a police telephonist during the Second World War. He later worked as a hospital telephonist, retiring in 1961. George Kirby died in 1973, aged 77 years.