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314:, paid for via a public crowdfunding campaign. The Civic Trust's plaques are usually blue, but Ellison's is olive green to symbolise the uniform of the soldiers. The unveiling event was attended by his two granddaughters and other family members. A memorial mock newspaper was created and circulated at the event, marking Ellison's life and the story of the war as experienced by regular people in Leeds.
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He was survived by Hannah and a son, James
Cornelius (just five days short of his fifth birthday when his father was killed) – living in Richmond Hill in east Leeds, as were Ellison's parents. The family only learnt of his death just before Christmas, more than a month after the war had ended.
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as a regular soldier in 1902 – but had left by 1912, by which time he had become a coal miner, and when he married Hannah Maria Burgan in
Nottingham. Sometime just before the outbreak of war he was recalled to the army, joining the
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Following the unveiling of the plaque, Leeds artist Suman Kaur heard
Ellison's story, and created and circulated a 'remastered' charcoal portrait of him based on the only known photo of him.
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268:. Coincidentally, and in large part due to Mons being lost in the very opening stages of the war and regained at the very end (from the British perspective), his grave faces that of
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In 2018, he and John Parr became the inspiration behind a poem, "Goodnight Kiss", by writer Philip Parker – written as part of a project in conjunction with the
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In recent times, Ellison's story was featured in a 2008 BBC 'Timewatch' documentary with
Michael Palin, in conjunction with his granddaughters.
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204:. He died at 09:30 am (90 minutes before the armistice came into effect), shot by a sniper while on a patrol in woodland on the outskirts of
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276:, the Canadian soldier who was also felled near Mons at 10:58am, and was the last British Empire soldier killed in the Great War.
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530:"Armistice: Plaque unveiled in honour of George Edwin Ellison, the last British soldier killed in First World War"
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272:, the first British soldier killed during the Great War, and just a few metres away from
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505:"The Leeds man who became the last British soldier to be killed in World War One"
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430:"Armistice: two men separated by four years of war and a few yards of turf"
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Ellison's only brother
Frederick was also killed during the war, in 1917.
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and serving in the army from the very start of the war. He fought in the
196:(10 August 1878 – 11 November 1918) was the last British soldier to be
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581:"New drawing is fine tribute to Leeds war hero George Ellison"
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Ellison, aged 40 at the time of his death, is buried in the
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George Edward
Ellison plaque outside Leeds City Station
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Armistice of 11 November 1918 § Last casualties
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310:and partners unveiled a memorial plaque to him at
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233:in 1914, and several other battles including the
693:British military personnel killed in World War I
611:"Leeds soldier who was last to die in Great War"
306:In November 2018 (the centenary of his death),
346:"Casualty Details: Ellison, George Edwin"
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216:Ellison was born in York and later lived in
19:For other people named George Ellison, see
718:Burials at St Symphorien Military Cemetery
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483:Imperial War Museum, "Armistice 100 Days"
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698:British Army personnel of World War I
7:
370:Lichfield, John (8 November 2008).
634:Palin, Michael (29 October 2008).
609:Lazenby, Peter (7 November 2008).
450:Palin, Michael (29 October 2008).
428:Boffey, Daniel (2 November 2018).
401:Palin, Michael (1 November 2008).
350:Commonwealth War Graves Commission
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703:5th Royal Irish Lancers soldiers
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439:– via www.theguardian.com.
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16:British Army soldier (1878–1918)
556:"George Ellison newspaper 2018"
452:"The grandfather we never knew"
403:"The last day of World War One"
262:St Symphorien Military Cemetery
220:, England. He first joined the
21:George Ellison (disambiguation)
585:www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk
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636:"Remembering Private Ellison"
713:Military personnel from York
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64:11 November 1918 (aged 40)
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227:5th Royal Irish Lancers
143:5th Royal Irish Lancers
615:Yorkshire Evening Post
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667:George Edward Ellison
312:Leeds railway station
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274:George Lawrence Price
239:Battle of Armentières
168:Battle of Armentières
163:First Battle of Ypres
109:Years of service
669:at Wikimedia Commons
264:, just southeast of
194:George Edwin Ellison
43:George Edwin Ellison
382:on 12 December 2008
301:Imperial War Museum
243:Battle of La Bassée
173:Battle of La Bassée
708:Leeds Blue Plaques
587:. 15 November 2018
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245:, Battle of Lens,
665:Media related to
536:. 7 November 2018
308:Leeds Civic Trust
251:Battle of Cambrai
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183:Battle of Cambrai
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617:. Archived from
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477:Parker, Philip.
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198:killed in action
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643:. Retrieved
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619:the original
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380:the original
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222:British Army
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149:Battles/wars
103:British Army
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688:1918 deaths
683:1878 births
591:6 September
565:6 September
540:6 September
534:inews.co.uk
514:6 September
435:6 September
355:13 November
208:, Belgium.
200:during the
677:Categories
488:23 October
413:7 November
386:7 November
333:References
74:Allegiance
40:Birth name
509:LeedsLive
456:Timewatch
407:Timewatch
270:John Parr
212:Biography
114:1914–1918
112:1902–1912
69:, Belgium
56:, England
645:24 April
640:BBC News
625:24 April
462:24 April
321:See also
192:Private
92:Service/
253:on the
134:L/12643
123:Private
284:Legacy
249:, and
94:branch
83:
560:ImgBB
458:. BBC
409:. BBC
218:Leeds
647:2011
627:2011
593:2020
567:2020
542:2020
516:2020
490:2018
464:2011
437:2020
415:2018
388:2018
357:2010
266:Mons
206:Mons
139:Unit
119:Rank
67:Mons
61:Died
54:York
48:Born
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