BALCH George

What we know about BALCH George

Private Balch was the brother of Mr J Balch, of Merton, and served with the 9^th Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment.

The 9^th was a service battalion, part of the New Armies put together to supplement the professional forces in the early days of the war.

The 9^th was formed in Exeter in September 1914 and in August 1915 was part of the 20^th Army Brigade, 7^th Division.

The fact that Private 16683 George Balch was in the Devonshires and died on 1 July 1916 tells us that he almost certainly was killed in the fighting on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, alongside hundreds of his Devonshire comrades. He is one of the 153 men buried at the famous Devonshire Cemetery at Mametz.

He is also remembered with honour on the memorial in the church at Merton.

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