George Spruce (known as Jud) was born on 29th December 1912 at Aston near Preston Brook, the son of John Minshall Spruce and Ellen (nee Whitby). The family lived at Parkside Cottage in Aston. The father was from Crowton and worked as a farm labourer, and the mother was from Five Crosses near Frodsham.
The 1911 Census recorded that they had five children born before George: Alice Mary, John, Sarah Ellen, Elizabeth Ann, and May, all born in Aston.
Ten years later the 1921 Census showed that George now had three more siblings, Thomas, William, and Allen. Allen sadly died aged one year. Two more sons called James Minshall and Robert were born in 1923 and 1924, however Robert also died in his first year.
After leaving school, George became a farm labourer for Jack Shepherd at Parkside Farm in Aston. He lived at Parkside Cottages with his parents and his younger brothers.
In 1936 George enlisted in the Royal Navy. During World War Two he served on HMS Colombo, a C-Class light cruiser and on HMS Valiant, a Queen Elizabeth class battleship. He was also on Landing Ship (Tank) no.237 which supported amphibious operations by carrying tanks, vehicles, cargo and troops on to low slope beaches in the D-Day landings on 6th June 1944.
When war had broken out in September 1939 only three of the Spruce children were still at home and the father was working as a farm foreman on a dairy and arable farm in Aston. In 1942 George married Mary Jane Leigh, who was from Latchford. They had five children born in the 1940s and 1950s.
In July 1945 George was serving in Bombay, India before returning to England to be demobilised on 9th November 1945. A day later he enrolled in the Royal Fleet Reserve and served until 16th November 1948, his service number being Y160. He was then demobilised. George and Mary Jane continued to live at Parkside Cottages and George worked for J. B. Edwards Construction at the Castner Kellner site of Imperial Chemical Industries at Runcorn. In 1954 the family moved to a newly- built house in Gorseywell Lane in Preston Brook. George worked as a gardener until he retired.
George passed away at Halton General Hospital on 26th July 1993 at the age of 80 years, his wife Mary Jane passing away in April 1994.
