Royal Air Force
George Frederick Delmar-Williamson was born on 10 January 1899 in Notting Hill, London and was the only son of Frederick and Emily Rowley Delmar-Williamson.
He was educated at Glyngarth School and attended Cheltenham College between 1913 and 1915 after which he was accepted at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
He was gazetted Second Lieutenant on 23 September 1916 and joined the Royal Highlanders; he was attached to the Royal Flying Corps in October, obtaining his wings at Vendome in February 1917, following training at Oxford.
He served on the Western Front from March 1917 and was highly commended for photographic and reconnaissance duties there but was invalided home in August 1917 suffering from concussion. On recovery he served with the Home Squadron on air raid duty including anti-Zeppelin operations and in March 1918 was appointed flying instructor at Yatesbury, Wiltshire.
On 12 July 1918, as an officer of the newly formed Royal Air Force, he was test flying an RE8 (with registration C2236) over Chippenham, whilst serving with 13 Training Squadron. Unfortunately the new aeroplane collapsed in mid-air and in the crash both he and his co-pilot, Captain Gabell, who was also from Cheltenham, were killed. George was 19 years of age.
Lieutenant Delmar-Williamson was buried with full military honours in Leckhampton churchyard and there is a photograph of him and the funeral in Graphic of the 20 July 1918.
Lieutenant Delmar-Williamson lived at 8 Lansdown Place, Cheltenham and his family were also associated with Firs Lodge, Leckhampton.
His grave is marked with a prominent white marble cross, which bears the badge of the RAF. He is also commemorated on the Cheltenham War Memorial, the Leckhampton Village War Memorial and inside Christ Church, Cheltenham.
Research by Graham Adams 20 July 2012 with acknowledgement to ‘Taken from Leaving all that was dear – Cheltenham in the Great War ‘by Joe Devereux and Graham Sacker