George Bernard Dillon

George Dillon of Tralee 1893 – 1975

George Dillon was born at Caherina, Strand Road, Tralee on the 7th April 1893 to Patrick Dillon and Mary Flynn. He was baptised on 16th April of the same year; his sponsors were Thomas Connor and Mary Flahive. George lost his mother shortly after he was born. George's father Patsy appeared in court in January 1894 for failing to vaccinate his son within three months of his birth. George had two elder brothers, Joe and Bernard through Patrick and Mary although another four brothers came along after his father married again (Margaret Flahive) in 1898, five years after the death of his mother.

Patrick Dillon kept some horses and trained for others at Mount Hawke in Tralee. Patrick’s sons spent their young lives with their father, working in the stables and accompanying him to the races around the south of Ireland. 

By New Year’s Day 1901 both his elder brothers had left home, destined for careers in horse racing in England. This left young George behind with his father and stepmother. All three are registered in the Irish census of 1901 as being able to read and write. The residence was recorded as Caherane Road, Tralee Urban. 

Although George followed his brothers into horseracing in England this was possibly not until after 1906 or perhaps later when the rest of the family relocated to Epsom in Surrey from Tralee. By this time another four little boys had joined the family.

George enjoyed some success riding over fences, but his career in England was always going to be overshadowed by the success of his elder brothers Joe and Bernard. 

At the outbreak of the first world war George was twenty-one years old. He did not immediately enlist but did so in April 1915, before the Lord Derby Scheme of October 1915 was calling for volunteers.  With his background it was perhaps inevitable that George should be destined for the Royal Army Veterinary Corps. After training he was promoted to Sergeant and sent to France as part of the expeditionary force in September 1915. George suffered injury twice in 1916 whilst in France, resulting in an hospital stay in France and once at Chelsea. It is not known why his campaign medals were returned in 1923. It could be on principle but equally because George may have been out of the country. Military records show that for a time George was serving in India. It was perhaps during this time, he learned to love a culture that he could not forget. Sometime after the war and certainly before 1927 George was living in Ceylon and working in the racing industry as a trainer for hotelier Arthur Edward Ephraums whilst Ceylon was still under colonial rule. It is possible to trace George’s movements between Ceylon and the U.K for over twenty years until Ceylon’s partition in 1948. 

During one of George's visits home he married. May Cornelius Denning was a native of Teignmouth.

Until the online research facility became common practise, nothing was known about George except his name. Nobody spoke about him and it was presumed he died as a child, but that was disproved upon the revelation of his war records.

George Dillon was my great-uncle, the brother of my grandfather John (Jack) Dillon.