Corporal George Purves

Corporal George E. Purves, 11th Battalion, Royal Marines, ( Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation ). He died on Active Service on 1st January 1943 in Italy aged 24. H had been born in Melrose and was the son of Robert ( ex forester on Nenthorn Estate ) and Elizabeth Purves of Jedburgh and the husband of Isabella Knox Purves of Jedburgh. He is buried in Moro River Canadian Cemetery, San Donato, Italy. (The M.N.B.D.O.s were set up during the War to defend Royal Navy Bases from enemy attack ). In September 1942 he had taken part in an amphibious raid against Tobruk and had been captured. The operation ( Operation Agreement ) was a failure and resulted in heavy Allied casualties with 576 men captured a 1 cruiser ( H.M.S. Coventry pictured below )and 2 destroyers sunk. He died in an Italian hospital from pneumonia.

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