George Rosen Tracey was the fourth son of the eleven children of Patrick Edward and Charlotte Tracey. He was born in 1892 in East Melbourne.
Sergeant-Major Patrick Tracey wa a member of the permanent staff of the Victorian Rifle Association. In his early days he had been a keen participant in the various shooting competitions held by the Association, but later he became an instructor assisting in the training of cadets. In early 1914 he had been sent 'home' to England for training purposes and when war was declared he volunteered and was attached to the 6th Battalion, Connaught Rangers. He fought in the battles of the Marne and the Aisne. He served for about four months in France before returning to Australia in May 1915 to resume training of new recruits. His unit in Australia was B Company, 2nd Battalion, 1 Brigade. Three of his sons, including George, followed in his footsteps and enlisted. The other two were John Henry (Jack) and Edward Albert (Eddy).
The exact address in East Melbourne where George was born is unconfirmed. In 1891a Mrs. Tracey signed the Women's Suffrage Petition giving her address as 194 George Street. However the house at 194 was not built until 1908 and the Council Rate Books do not list the address. The Rate Books do list a Miss Tracey at 94 George Street. At the same time Patrick's address is given in the Sands & McDougall Post Office Directories as the Orderly Rooms on the corner of Victoria Parade and Powlett Street.
When George enlisted on 17 August 1914 he gave his occupation as 'cleaner'. His military experience was 2 years and 9 months in the 6th A.I.R. He was 5ft 9.5ins, with a fair complexion, hazel eyes and brown hair. He was appointed to B Company of the 7th Battalion at Broadmeadows as a private.
He embarked on 19 October 1914 along with the other members of his unit and arrived in Egypt on 2 December 1914. He took part in the landing at Anzac on 25 April 1915 as part of the second wave. There he suffered a gunshot wound to the right arm (slight). He was initially listed as missing because the hospital had registered him as C. Tracey of A Company. By the time they found him he had been wounded again, this time to the face. Over the next year he was wounded several times and was in and out of hosptal in Malta, Lemnos and, finally, England. He was invalided back to Australia from England on 8 May 1916 with varicose veins, arriving home on 19 June 1916.
After an operation to fix his varicose veins he re-enlisted on 18 August 1916 citing his occupation this time as 'printer'. He embarked on 2 October 1916 with the 21 Reinforcements, 7 Battalion and disembarked at Plymouth on 16 November 1916. He proceeded overseas to France on 21 December 1916. This time around his war service was characterized by several instances of Absent Without Leave, and one of drunkenness, each misdemeanour earning him several days of forfeited pay. He was in hospital for five weeks with VD. Other complaints resulting in hospitalisation included influenza and myalgia. Amongst it all he received a gunshot wound to the right thigh on 11 August 1918 and was transferred from the hospital at Wimereux to England six days later. He returned to Australia 18 December 1918.
George married Ivy and they had one child. He died at the Caulfield Military Hospital on 16 October 1938.