George Paul

George was a gardener at Herrison Hospital, a large mental hospital outside Dorchester. In the First World war he joined the Coldstream Guards, with number 20491, serving with Vivian Boon who would become Group Commander for Dorchester Auxiliary Units. His brothers also served in the Army, though his Levi was killed at Arras on 12 Apr 1917. His other brother Leonard was awarded the Military Medal having saved the life of an officer.

Between the wars he returned to his job. the family recalled that he used to disappear off on his motorcycle for days at a time, without apparent impact on his job, but they had no idea what he was up to. He also knew the Trenchard family, who would provide another Dorset Assistant Group Commander. While officially recorded as a gardener, the family recall him assisting with patients as a nurse. At this time the hospital contained many shell shock and gas victims with permanent neurological damage from their service in the World War. On 1 Nov 1925 he married Lydia Edith Smith.

During the Second World War he always seemed to have plenty petrol for his bike and no shortage of shotgun cartridges, despite both being in short supply. At one point he was gifted a .410 garden gun (a small bore shotgun for small vermin) with Lady Mountbatten's monogram, which seemed an unusual gift for gardener at a mental hospital. This was given up by his son a few years ago so its current whereabouts is unknown.