McAlpine, George Turner (George)
Private
No. 2528, 4th Regiment, South African Infantry
Killed in action on Wednesday 10 April 1918 (aged 28)
No known grave
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium (Panel 15 – 16 and 16A)
Newtownards and District War Memorial
Bangor and District War Memorial
Royal British Legion (Bangor Branch) Memorial Plaque
Comrades of the Great War (Bangor Branch) Album in North Down Museum
First Bangor Presbyterian Church
Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) Roll of Honour 1914 – 1919 for
Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church Newtownards
McAvoy Family Grave Headstone in Movilla Cemetery, Newtownards
Cousin of Rifleman Edward Ferguson McCalpin McAvoy (No. 18125)
Cousin of Rifleman John Magilton McAvoy (No. 18183)
BIOGRAPHY
There is some variation in the spelling of George McAlpine’s surname – McAlpin; McCalpin; McAlpine (his signature, CWGC, Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church and Newtownards and District War Memorial); Macalpine (First Bangor Presbyterian Church) and MacAlpine (Royal British Legion Memorial Plaque and Bangor and District War Memorial).
George Turner McAlpine was born on 23 September 1889 in Wallace’s Street, Newtownards and he was the youngest son of Robert Alexander McAlpine and Selina McAlpine (nee Ennis, sometimes Innis) who were married on 24 January 1870 in Newtownards Registrar’s Office. Robert McAlpine (aged 23) from Ballyrea was a son of William McAlpine, a weaver. Selina Ennis (aged 21) from Ballybarnes was a daughter of Andrew Ennis, a weaver.
The McAlpine family lived at 24 Wallace’s Street, Newtownards and George also lived for a time at 19 Beatrice Avenue, Bangor before he moved to South Africa.
Robert Alexander McAlpine worked as a wool weaver and he and Selina had at least nine children:
William (born 5 November 1870 in Ballyrea)
Elizabeth (Lizzie, born 31 December 1872 in Ballyrea; married Hugh McAvoy; died 26 February 1957 aged 84)
Ellen (born 12 March 1875 in Ballyrea)
Henry (born 2 July 1877)
Rachel (born 24 January 1880)
Robert Alexander (born 27 May 1882 in Wallace’s Street, Newtownards)
Andrew (born 26 May 1884 in Wallace’s Street, Newtownards)
James McGilton (born 20 August 1886 in Wallace’s Street, Newtownards)
George Turner (born 23 September 1889 in Wallace’s Street, Newtownards)
The last four were baptised in Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church Newtownards
After their mother Selina McAlpine died of cancer on 3 March 1900 (aged 49) their father lived with his daughter and son-in-law Lizzie and Hugh McAvoy; Robert Alexander McAlpine died on 5 December 1927 (aged 74).
George Turner McAlpine enlisted in Potchefstroom on 26 August 1915 and in his attestation papers it was noted that he was 5 feet 8 inches tall.
Private George Turner McAlpine (No. 2528) served in both the 3rd and 4th Regiments of the South African Infantry and was wounded on five separate occasions before he was killed in action at Messines on 10 April 1918.
Private George Turner McAlpine (No. 2528) has no known grave and he is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial in Belgium; on Newtownards and District War Memorial; on Bangor and District War Memorial; on the Royal British Legion (Bangor Branch) Memorial Plaque; in the Comrades of the Great War (Bangor Branch) Album in North Down Museum; in First Bangor Presbyterian Church; in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) Roll of Honour 1914 – 1919 for Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church Newtownards and on the McAvoy Family Grave Headstone in Movilla Cemetery, Newtownards.