Herbert George Collyer

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Grave/Memorial:  		Collyer, Herbert G

1898, Woking, Surrey, England

Alfred and Hannah (née Wye)

3rd Battalion, Norfolk Regiment

41087

Private

26 February 1919, Thetford, Norfolk, age 20

St John’s Churchyard, Woking 		 
Biography:
Herbert George Collyer was born in Woking in 1898, the son of Alfred, a labourer, and Hannah (née Wye). He had (surviving)
two brothers and a sister.

Herbert was educated at St John’s School. After leaving school, he worked at Goldsworth Nursery.

Herbert enlisted in the 7th Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment which had formed at Norwich in August 1914 as part of Kitchener’s
New Army, it first landed in France at Boulogne on 31 May 1915.

On 26 March 1918, the 7th Battalion was detailed to move into position to cover the approaches to Albert and Aveluy. Herbert
was captured and remained a prisoner of war until the Armistice.

Herbert returned home in December 1918. He rejoined his unit in early February 1919 being transferred to the 3rd (Reserve)
Battalion. He fell ill and died from influenza and bronchial pneumonia on 26th February. He was buried in St John’s Cemetery,
Woking on 3rd March.
The 1918–1920 flu pandemic, also known as the Great Influenza epidemic or by the common misnomer ‘Spanish flu’, was an exceptionally deadly
global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 subtype of the influenza A virus. It is generally accepted to have caused 25–50 million deaths

Herbert George Collyer is also commemorated on the War Memorial Cross in Woking Town Square and on the Goldsworth
Nursery Memorial.