Photograph of George in Tameside Local Studies and Archives Centre. Reference: MRP/4F/061

(L to R) Victoria Cross; Distinguished Service Order and Bar; Military Cross; 1914 Star with clasp '5th Aug.-22nd Nov. 1914'; British War Medal; Allied Victory Medal with 'Mentioned in Despatches' oak leaves; General Service Medal 1918-62 with clasp 'Iraq' and 'Mentioned in Despatches' oak leaves

George was born on the 5th December 1893 at East Gordon Farm near Coldstream in the Scottish Borders. His father was called Robert and his mother was Mary. His 2 younger sisters were Jessie Agnes and Elspeth. The family were Presbyterians.

Robert was a successful farmer; he owned East Gordon Farm until 1901, when the family moved to Mount Hooly Farm near Jedburgh. George lived there until he became a boarder at Rossall School near Fleetwood in Lancashire in 1904.

George grew up loving all animals, 'he would sit in any amount of discomfort himself rather than displace a dog or cat from its share of his chair'. He became a keen rider and as he grew up he and his sisters often went riding. George would usually find 'ditches, fences, fallen trees or other hazards to be...jumped to add zest to the outings'.

At Rossall George became a member of the Officer Training Corps. He also played cricket and football. One of his teachers remembered him as 'determined in all his actions and would stand no nonsense from anyone'. He left Rossall in 1912 and reported to the Royal Military College at Sandhurst to begin his officer training.

After 18 months training George was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Manchester Regiment on the 24th January 1914. He was sent to join the 1st Battalion in Jullundur in the modern Indian Punjab, and arrived there on the 6th March. He was 5 feet 8 1/4 inches tall and weighed 141 pounds when he joined the Army.

George would not spend long in India. The First World War broke out in early August 1914 and by the end of the month the 1st Battalion had mobilised and set sail for Europe. They arrived in France on the 26th September and after another month they were in combat around Fromelles.

Conditions on the front line during the early part of the war were bad. It was wet, cold and dangerous, and for soldiers used to the heat of India things must have been even worse. George was a member of Number 3 Company during this time.

On the 9th November George was promoted to Lieutenant. He was shot in the left arm six days later, and returned to the UK to recover. He was away from the 1st Battalion until just after Christmas 1914.

When George returned to France he was assigned to the 2nd Battalion of the Manchester Regiment, but after a few days he was able to transfer back to the 1st. George was Mentioned in Despatches for his conduct during this short period, although we don't know what he did.

In 1915 George took part in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle during March and the 2nd Battle of Ypres during April. The attack at Ypres was a costly failure and the British and Indian soldiers began to retreat in disorder, but a group of around 150 men, including George, held their ground. For this deed George was awarded the Military Cross in the London Gazette of the 3rd July 1915. This is his citation:

Near Ypres, on the 26th April 1915, after his Company commander had been wounded, he led his Company up to within 70 yards of the enemy's trenches with great gallantry and determination, and held on through several hours of daylight, and finally established himself there. Throughout the operations he set a fine example, after most of the senior officers had become casualties.

The rest of 1915 was much quieter, although conditions in the trenches were still difficult and dangerous. George had been promoted to Temporary Captain during April. He was able to return to the UK for a week's leave during late October. The 1st Battalion was withdrawn from the front on the 10th November and ordered to sail for Mesopotamia, now called Iraq. George was Mentioned in Despatches again during these last few days in France.

The 1st Battalion arrived in Basra on the 8th January 1916. They took part in attempts to relieve the British forces trapped in Kut al Amara. One of these attempts took place on the 8th March, when they attempted to capture the Dujeilan Redoubt from the Turks. They captured the position, but took heavy casualties and were forced to retreat when the Turks counterattacked.

During this fighting George was Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order. His citation was published in the London Gazette on the 31st May:

For conspicuous gallantry and determination in an attack on the Dujeilan Redoubt. On entering the redoubt he organised and led bombing parties which cleared out the enemy, of whom he personally shot 5. He subsequently covered our withdrawal and was one of the last to leave the redoubt.

George Stringer was awarded the Victoria Cross during this fighting. His medals are also in the Museum of the Manchester Regiment collection.

After Kut fell on the 29th April the British did not resume their advance until early 1917. On the 9th January George was involved in the Battle of the Khadairi Bend. The 1st Battalion had captured a Turkish trench when they were counter attacked. A small group of soldiers held off the Turks under the command of seven Manchester Regiment officers. Five of them were killed in the fighting; George survived unharmed.

For his courage in this battle George was awarded a Bar to his Distinguished Service Order in the London Gazette of the 25th August. There was no citation with this award.

Baghdad was captured in mid March. At the end of the month George was again Mentioned in Despatches for his conduct during fighting at Jebel Hamrin, near the Persian border.

George spent the summer of 1917 in reserve near Baghdad. He returned to the front in early November to take part in the attack on Tikrit. Again, he led a small group of 1st Battalion soldiers in the Turkish trenches. They held off counter attacks from Turkish soldiers who had flanked them on both sides until other units were able to take the town.

On the 12th January 1918 George left the 1st Battalion. He had been assigned to a unit called 'Dunsterforce'. This was based in Hamadan, Persia (now called Iran) and aimed to organise Russian soldiers and local tribesmen to fight the Turks in the Caucasus Mountains. It was an alternative to sending large numbers of British troops to the area.

After a long and difficult journey through the cold, mountainous terrain of northern Persia George arrived in Hamadan in late March. He worked as an intelligence officer with Dunsterforce until the end of September. His efforts to recruit local tribesmen were not very successful; in a letter home George told Elspeth that 'he thought much more highly of the Turks than of the Armenians he was trying to encourage to fight them!'

George served with the 3rd Battalion of McCarthy's Irregulars in Hamadan until early 1919. On the 19th April he was in Port Said, Egypt, on his way back to the UK when he met his sister Jessie in the street.

In early July he joined the 2nd Battalion of the Manchester Regiment in Bordon, Hampshire. He took command of D Company. They were sent to Tipperary in Ireland during November, where they assisted the police in the face of violence from Irish Republicans. The violence was not yet as serious as it would become, so George had plenty of time to ride and fish.

George's father Robert suffered a stroke in January 1920. George went to visit him at Mount Hooly. He offered to leave the Army and take over the farm, but Robert refused. George returned to the 2nd Battalion and was sent back to Mesopotamia on the 13th February.

Between April and July the Battalion was based in Tikrit, they then moved to Hillah. Many of the soldiers in Iraq were inexperienced and were not fully trained on all the Battalion's weaponry. Experienced soldiers and officers, such as George, will have been extremely valuable.

On the 24th July 1920 the Battalion was around 15 miles outside Hillah when it was attacked by Arab tribesmen. They attempted to return to the town during the night, but during the march several of the animals pulling transport wagons bolted into the soldiers. This split D Company into small groups and allowed the Arabs to overwhelm them one by one.

George collected as many soldiers as he could and led them in attacks on the tribesmen. They drove the Arabs back and attempted to rejoin the battalion. George never did. He was killed that night, aged 26.

The 2nd Battalion lost 179 men killed and 60 wounded during this fighting. Seventy nine solders were taken prisoner. It was recognised that more would have been lost without George's courage and leadership. He was awarded the Victoria Cross on the 24th October 1920. It was presented to Jessie by King George V on the 8th March 1921. This is George's citation:

For most conspicuous bravery and self sacrifice.

On the evening of the 24th July 1920, when about 15 miles from Hillah, the Company under his command was ordered to retire. After proceeding about 500 yards a large party of Arabs suddenly opened fire from the flank, causing the Company to split up and waver. Regardless of all danger, Captain Henderson at once reorganised the Company, led them gallantly to the attack and drove off the enemy.

On two further occasions this officer led his men to charge the Arabs with the bayonet and forced them to retire. At one time, when the situation was extremely critical and the troops and transport were getting out of hand, Captain Henderson, by sheer pluck and coolness, steadied his command, prevented the Company from being cut up, and saved the situation.

During the second Charge he fell wounded, but refused to leave his command, and just as the Company reached the trench they were making for he was again wounded. Realising that he could do no more, he asked one of his Non-commissioned Officers to hold him up on the embankment, saying, 'I'm done know, don't let them beat you'. He died fighting.

George's grave was never found, so he is one of 40,682 men whose names are listed on the Basra Memorial in Iraq. His name is on Panel 31 or Panel 64. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission have produced a Roll of Honour listing all these names and put it on display at their Head Office on Marlow Road in Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 7DX.

In 1975 retired Manchester Regiment Lieutenant Colonel Robert 'Rex' King-Clark told the story of George's life in 'George Stuart Henderson: The Story of a Scottish Soldier 1893-1920', ISBN 095047780X.