George Hilton is noted in Chailey Parish Magazine in October 1914 as serving his King and Country.  In October 1915 he appears as S[taff] S[ergeant] Major G Hilton with the Army Service Corps in France and by December 1915 he is still in France but by now promoted to RSM with the ASC.

By January 1917 there appears to have been a change of fortunes and he is again a Staff Sergeant Major, moving further down the ranks in December 1917 when the parish magazine notes him as a sergeant. George appears to have served throughout the war, his final entry in July 1919 noting him as a sergeant with the ASC.

The National Archives has a number of George Hilton / Engineers possibilities but I think his number was probably TSR/751, the TSR standing for Transport Special Reserve.  The National Archives's medal index card notes that this man was a sergeant and an acting warrant officer, class one.

Chailey resident Reg Philpott remembers that the Hilton family use to live “down the common” and that George Hilton minded the pumps at The Five Bells pub.

Sources & Acknowledgements

• Chailey Parish Magazine
• Interview with Reg Philpott in 2003
• The National Archives: Medal Index Card