George⁽²⁾ was born at Echuca, VIC in 1880 to Henry (or Harry) Sutton and Ann Aird. George married Julia Manly in 1916 and they had at least one child, Annie Isobell, born at Bacchus Marsh in 1920. George had five brothers⁽³⁾, William, John, Albert, Victor and Hugh, who also fought in the war. They are all listed on the Shire of Bacchus Marsh Roll of Honour, published in The Bacchus Marsh Express on the 21^st of December 1918.

George was a clerk, living in Bacchus Marsh, VIC when he enlisted in the AIF on the 18^th of September 1916, aged 36. He was first allocated to the 37^th Battalion and then to the 8^th Reinforcements, 2^nd Pioneer Battalion before he embarked aboard the HMAT A7 Medic in December and disembarked at Plymouth, England in February 1917.

In May 1917 George marched out to France to reinforce the 4^th Pioneers - shortly after joining his new unit he was detatched for duty with the 2^nd ANZAC School for two weeks. George was admitted to hospital suffering from trench fever in September and after being transferred to a Convalescent Depot he was discharged to Base Depot in January 1918 - shortly afterwards he was AWL and forfeited 10 days pay - he rejoined his unit in February. In June George was again admitted to hospital in France, this time suffering from influenza. He was granted two weeks leave in England in August. George was detached for duty with the 3^rd Mechanical Transport Company in December and later detached to another unit in February 1919 before being admitted to a casualty clearing station in France suffering from tonsillitis in March. In late April he was admitted to the King George Military Hospital, London suffering from rheumatism. George embarked for home aboard the Orontes in May, returning to Australia in late June and was discharged from the AIF in late August.

George died in Maffra, VIC in 1948, aged 68.

He is listed on the Shire of Bacchus Marsh Roll of Honour and the Bacchus Marsh & District Roll of Honour.

Notes

1. Pioneer battalions differed from normal infantry in that they would be composed of a mixture of men who were experienced with picks and shovels and some who had skilled trades . A Pioneer battalion would also carry a range of technical stores that infantry would not.
2. On his service records he gives his middle name as Hafferford. Other sources also use Haverford and Habberford.
3. The Bacchus Marsh Express 14 Jul 1917