George Henry Musgrove was a subaltern (Lieutenant) in the 48th Highlanders when the First World War began and arrived at Valcartier as a Captain. In early May 1915 he arrived to join the 15th Battalion in the field as part of a draft brought forward by Major Bent that included the last group of original 48th Highlanders still in UK.
During the battle for Festubert, Capt. Musgrove and Lt. Mavor were wounded, and the casualties amongst the Sr NCOs and men up to the time the Battalion got out of it on 22 May, were: 38 killed, 93 wounded, 4 gassed, and one badly wounded man, who later died, Musgrove was evacuated on 24 May with a shattered left arm which was later amputated. On 1-Feb-16 he was judged “Unfit for further service” and “Struck off Strength to Canada”. There is no record of how he managed to join the 162nd Battalion in Canada and was allowed to go back as a Major to be attached supernumerary to the 20th Battalion with his employment ‘Restricted to Instructional Duties Only.”
On 28 August during the assault on on the Fresnes-Rouvroy Line the Battalions advance was stopped by heavy artillery and machine gun fire. Nearly all the officers and section commanders were killed or wounded, making reorganization in the face of the devastating fire of the enemy a hopeless task. Major G. H. Musgrove, DSO was killed in his attempt to bring order to the remnant of the Battalion. Had he survived there is little doubt he would have received at least a second DSO.
