George Rollo

George Rollo was the son of George Rollo JP, of The Park, Waterloo, Lancashire, and grandson of David Rollo, Scottish founder of the well-known and well-respected firm of Liverpool marine engineers and ship repairers that bore his name. George Rollo’s value to the family firm was enhanced by his study of engineering at Liverpool University. At age of 19 Rollo was also commissioned in the 1st Lancashire (Edge Hill Liverpool) Royal Engineers (Volunteers). He appears to have taken his commission seriously and was promoted captain in 1906. Like many Volunteers, however, he did not convert to the Territorial Force on its creation in 1908 and was a civilian when the Great War broke out.

He did not wait long to rejoin the colours. On 1 September 1914 he was commissioned in the 17th (Service) Battalion (1st City) King’s (Liverpool) Regiment, one of the original ‘Pals’ battalions, with the rank of temporary captain. 17th King’s became part of 89th [Liverpool Pals] Brigade, 30th Division.

Rollo was destined to spend the majority of his remarkable war with the brigade, first as 2i/c 17th King’s (January 1915-July 1916), then as CO 19th King’s (July 1916-November 1917), then as CO 17th (Composite) Battalion (to which the brigade was reduced in May 1918 after the German spring offensives) and, finally, as CO 18th (Lancashire Hussars Yeomanry) Battalion King’s (August-September 1918), in effect a completely new unit. Along the way he acquired two wounds, a DSO and bar and four mentions in despatches. 

He left the brigade on 29 September 1918 to become GOC 150th Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division TF, a formation that had suffered cruelly in the spring fighting, on the Somme, at Ypres and on the Aisne, where it was effectively destroyed. He was 36 and had risen from civilian to brigadier-general in four years. 50th Division’s casualties were so severe that it had to be completely reconstituted and not one battalion of the old division remained. Nevertheless, it was able to take part in the Final Advance and Rollo earned his fifth mention in despatches for the part he played as GOC 150th Brigade.

After the war he went back into business, becoming managing director of Grayson, Rollo & Clover Docks Ltd. as well as director and chairman of several other Merseyside businesses.