George Fisk was born and married in Norfolk. He came to Chelmsford around 1909 and eventually had eight children, all aged under 12 when hie died. A plasterer by trade, he joined the army in April 1915 served in France and later in Greece. He died from bronchio-pneumonia in November 1918 in Salonika, Greece. His home was in Barrack Square.

On 13th December 1918 the Essex County Chronicle reported:

“Mrs. Fisk, of Evelyn Terrace, Barrack Square, Chelmsford, has received news from Salonika that her husband died on Nov. 30, of bronchio-pneumonia. Sapper Fisk, who joined the R.E.s in 1915, and eventually served in France, was afterwards transferred to Salonika. Previous to the war he was employed by Mr. Bedingfield as a plasterer. He leaves a widow and eight young children, the eldest being only 12 years old.”

The same edition also included the following family announcement:

“Fisk. - On November 30, at Salonika, of bronchio-pneumonia, Sapper G Fisk. R.E. of Evelyn Terrace, Barrack Square, Chelmsford.”

The day’s Essex Weekly News reported:

“Sapper Fisk, R.E., of Evelyn-ter., Barrack-sq., Chelmsford. died at Salonika on Nov. 30 from pneumonia. He joined up in 1915 and served in France before proceeding to Salonika. His widow is left with eight children, the eldest being 12 years of age. Before the war he was employed as a plasterer by Mr. Bedingfield.”

when their father was plasterer of 6 Evelyn Terrace, Barrack Square), Jack Fisk (born on 6th June 1914 and christened at St. John’s Church, Moulsham on 5th June 1915 when his father was a soldier of 6 Evelyn Terrace, Barrack Square), Geoffrey Harold Fisk (born on 9th May 1917) and Sylvia E. Fisk (born in 1918).

The family are thought to have moved to Chelmsford in 1909, and the census two years later recorded George, his wife and three eldest children at 6 Evelyn Terrace, Barrack Square, Chelmsford. At the time George was a journeyman plasterer. Archibald Alexander Ely, who also lost his life in the war, was then living at number 4.

He enlisted in April 1915 and served as Sapper 89289 in the 127th Field Company of the Royal Engineers, part of the 22nd Division. The division crossed to France in September 1915, but was quickly redirected to Salonika (now known as Thessaloniki), Greece, arriving there via Marseilles, France by the end of 1915, as part of the Anglo-French campaign to assist Serbia in her fight against Bulgarian aggression.

The division remained in the Salonika theatre for the rest of the war, with the majority of its losses being due to illness and disease. George fell into the latter category, dying from bronchio-pneumonia on 30th November 1918. He was aged 38. He is buried at Mikra British Cemetery, Kalamaria, some five miles south of Salonika (grave: 1751).