WW1 Sergeant George Leo McCabe 13/3055

George McCabe was the son of John and Bridget McCabe, of Ramarama, New Zealand. He was born in New Zealand on 1st June 1895 at Ararimu where his parents farmed and went to Auckland Grammar School with a Junior Scholarship won at Ramarama School in 1909.

He won Second Prizes in Form VB, passing the full matriculation including the Engineering preliminary. He entered Auckland Teacher Training College and taught at Remuera Primary School and Opotiki School. He enlisted in the Auckland Mounted Rifles being immediately promoted to Sergeant. He left with the 10th Reinforcements. [1]

At attestation on 17 November 1915 he was described as being 5’ 7” with light brown hair and blue eyes and joined A Squadron 10th Company of the Auckland Mounted Rifles, immediately transferring to the 2nd Battalion of the Auckland Infantry Regiment with promotion to Sergeant. He left on the troopship Aparima on 29 Feb 1916, disembarking at Suez on 4 April 1916, heading straight to the training camp at Moascar, reverting to Lance Corporal. [2]

On 25 April 1916 he was admitted to the New Zealand Field Ambulance at Tel-el-Kebir with sunstroke. [3] A week later on 2nd May 1916 George transferred to the 2nd Auckland Infantry Regiment (AIR) and on 10 May 1916 embarked for France on S S Caledonia from Alexandria. On 27 May 1916 he was attached to strength Base Depot, Etaples Camp in France and joined the 2nd Battalion of the AIR as a Private, being promoted to Acting Lance Corporal the next day. On 16 June 1916 he was admitted to No. 7 General Hospital St Omer, this time with German measles. [4]

He was again promoted to Lance Corporal on 9 October 1916 and to Temporary Sergeant on 25 October 1916 and then Sergeant on 31 December 1916. In February 1917 George took part in the 2nd Battalion’s raids on the German trenches but on the 3 March 1917 he was reported as missing. On 2 August 1917 he was reported as having died on the 21st February 1917 in a German trench and was buried by the Germans. He was aged 20 years. After the war he grave was found and he was buried at Pont-Du-Hem Military Cemetery, La Gorgue, Nord, France, IV. E. 12. [5]

Sergeant George McCabe is remembered on memorials at Drury-Runciman Memorial, near Drury Hall, the Auckland Grammar School War Memorial, New Zealand and the Remuera Primary School World War One Gates 1914-1918, 25 Dromorne Road, Remuera.