At this time little is known of the early life of George Wright Mole, other than he was married and had a daughter and they lived at Glanmorfa, Bagillt, Flintshire.

However, during August 1896 George who was aged 17 years of age at the time, enlisted as a Private with the 1st Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers.   He saw active service in the Boer War and was awarded both the Queen’s South Africa Medal and King’s South Africa Medal with the following clasps – Cape Colony Clasp, Transvaal Clasp, Tugala Heights Clasp and the Relief of Ladysmith Clasp (ancestry.co.uk).

Between wars George Mole was employed in the village of Bagillt, Flintshire, North Wales as a Postman.

On the 10th October 1918, along with 500 other Military Personnel, George Wright Mole was a passenger on board RMS Leinster, which was bound for Holyhead from Dublin. The ship was struck by a torpedo fired from German U Boat 123, which was under the command of Oberleutant Robert Ramm. George who was 39 years of age was killed along with many others on the ship.

County Herald Friday 25 October 1918.   Sergeant Mole – It is with regret we note that Sergeant Mole, of Glan y Morfa, Bagillt was among the lost on the S.S. ‘Leinster’, torpedoed by the enemy.  The Sergeant was coming home to his wife and daughter on leave.  Prior to joining the Colours, he had been for some years Postman in the Bagillt District and was highly regarded.  Deceased had seen active service through the South African War.

On 18 February 1919 a payment of £2.16s.0d was made by the War Office to Florence Mole, this being monies owed to George.  On 11 January 1920, a further payment which is recorded as a War Gratuity of £11.9s.0d was also made to her.

He is also remembered on The North Wales Heroes Memorial Arch, Deiniol Road, Bangor, North Wales.

There is a Flintshire Roll of Honour Card for George Wright Mole at the County Archives Office, Hawarden, which was completed on 8 September 1919 by Florence Mole.

The sinking of RMS Leinster claimed more Flintshire lives. Charles Harold Blackburne and his two children Audrey and Peter were drowned (Mold and Buckley Memorials). Joseph McIntosh a former teacher was drowned (Connah’s Quay and Shotton Memorial).

To learn more about the sinking of the Leinster, follow the link  http://www.rmsleinster.com/