At 9.30am on 11 November 1918, Private George Edwin Ellison, of the 5th Royal Irish Lancers, received a fatal bullet wound while on a scouting patrol in the Mons area. He is officially recognised as the last British casualty of WWI, just 90 minutes before the guns fell silent. This final centenary year is a chance to reflect upon and pay tribute to the ultimate sacrifice made by thousands of men like George, who was one of 800 men killed in the six hours between the signing of the Armistice and the agreed time of 11.00am later that day when it would take effect.
In tribute to the centenary of the end of the war, renowned watchmaker Col&MacArthur, official timepiece supplier to the British Armed Forces, has created a special, limited edition design, complete with intricate commemorative details. For instance, George Ellison’s initials are placed halfway between the 9 and 10 on the watch face, symbolising 9.30 when he died. Also, in place of the number 11 sits a delicate poppy to denote the 11th hour of the Armistice, and the number 5 is coloured red for the hour the document was signed. Only 1,918 of these watches were ever made – another reference.
With History Of War Issue 60, Subscribers have the chance to win one of these unique watches. There is even a free engraving of up to 60 characters of your choice available, to fully personalise the piece. This brings the total prize value to £385. The competition is open exclusively to subscribers of History of War – all entrants will require a valid Subscriber ID in order to qualify. Click Here to Subscribe to History of War to get exclusive access to these fantastic competitions.
For more information on Col&MacArthur’s full range of quality timepieces, please visit: colandmacarthur.com
To enter the competition, simply answer the following question and type in your Subscriber ID.