George was born on 22 December 1889 in Old Malling, Lewes, Sussex. He was the eldest of four children of George Huston, a journeyman butcher, and his wife.
On leaving school, George worked as an outfitter’s assistant.
On 5th March 1908, at age 18, George enlisted in the 2nd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment and was sent to Chichester for basic training. Later that year, he committed to the army as part of his professional career. Over the following years, he was promoted, achieving the rank of Sergeant in August 1914 before the battalion went to France.
A talented distance runner, he participated in the Stockholm Olympic Games 1912 and won bronze medals in the 3000m and 5000m.
Tragically, his promising life was cut short.
On 23rd May 1914, he married Kate Evenden, a Lewes girl. After their marriage, George returned to the army, and Kate went to her parents' house, 3 Roseland Cottages, Cliffe Square, Lewes. Just a few months later, with the outbreak of war, George was deployed to France. Their daughter Kate Evelyn was born on 31st August.
George never saw his daughter.
The 2nd Royal Sussex was involved in the three-week retreat from Mons. On the 14th of September, ordered to take the high ground above the village of Vendresse, and setting out at 3.00 am, they surprised and captured 250 German troops asleep in their bivouacs. In the ensuing melée, five officers of the 2nd Royal Sussex, including their Lieutenant-Colonel, were killed. George was hit more than once in the leg and left on the battlefield. He was only confirmed dead a year later.
The devastating news of his death at Vendresse on 14 September 1914, during the battle of the Marne, left his young wife bereft.
George’s body was never recovered, adding to the sense of loss.
Today, George Hutson's memory lives on. His story is told in ‘Lewesians in the Great War’ and 'The Extinguished Flame’, while his name appears on the La Ferte-sous-Joauarre Memorial, at Cliffe Church, Lewes and on the Lewes and Heathfield War memorials.
Article by Jonathan Vernon, Digital Editor.
References
Lewesians and the Great War 1914-1919 by Graham Mayhew. Published by County Books/Spiral Publishing 2023 Lewes Town Council
The Extinguished Flame. Olympians killed in the Great War. By Nigel McCrery. Pen & Sword 2016