Lives of the First World War

known 12th July 1915

Having been a member of the OTC while at university, George gained a Territorial commission in 7th (Blythswood) Battalion, the Highland Light Infantry in August 1911. On mobilisation, he joined his regiment in Dunfermline and was appointed to command the machine gun section. In May 1915 he was promoted to Captain and assumed the role of machine gun officer for 157th Brigade. That month, his division was ordered to Gallipoli. On the 12 July 1915 his battalion took part in its first significant action, an attack on the Turkish positions at Achi Baba, a prominent hill that overlooked the British beachhead at Cape Helles. At 1650 hours, the 7/H.L.I. went ‘over the top’, and advanced into heavy small arms and artillery fire. Despite this, they succeeded in capturing three successive lines of enemy trenches, albeit at considerable cost, before consolidating their gains on the second position. In response, the Turks mounted a series of counterattacks on the British. The following day, the battalion’s War Diary recorded: “our line… was enfiladed, owing to the number of men in the trench also dead and wounded only a very primitive consolidation could be made during the night, on which account we suffered very heavily from the enfilade machine gun fire.” It was during this period of the fighting, as the battalion attempted to regain sections of the forward positions that had been lost, that Captain Weller was shot by a sniper. His body was never identified. For his conduct he was posthumously recommended for a mention in despatches although the award does not appear to have been made. His citation read: "For untiring energy in the selection of the positions for the MG in the attacks and for continual reconnaissance of the captured trenches and selection of fresh positions. This officer was killed on reconnaissance."

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