Kingston upon Hull War Memorial 1914 - 1918
The story of Hull in World War 1
The Hull Memorial remembers the 1,200 sailors from Hull and abroad, who died during the First World War.
The ongoing peril of unexploded sea mines would claim the lives of Hull fisherman, long after the war had ended. For example, the Hull trawler ‘Gitano’ struck a mine and was sunk with all hands on the 23rd December 1918.
The Hull trawler ’Scotland’ struck a mine on the 13th March 1919, killing seven Hull men.
Two days later the steam ship ‘Durban’ exploded‘, killing another eight Hull sailors.
The ‘Isle of Man’ (Hull) exploded on the 14th December 1919, killing seven Hull fishermen, and the steam ship ‘Barbados’ exploded on the 5th November 1920, taking another ten Hull men. These included the two Weaver brothers killed on the same day.
Many of these seaman had survived the war, only to be its victims after whilst trying to earn a living for their families. In all over 1,200 Hull men died at sea during the First World War and the majority have no known grave.
Another tragedy was the loss of the fishing trawler ‘Magneta’ on the 31st January 1922, during the Russian Civil war. While being placed under false arrest, by the Russian authorities, the ‘Magneta’ was dragged into a port unsuitable for anchorage, and wrecked on a reef, during a hurricane. Nine Hull fishermen were lost. The arrest of the ‘Magneta’ became a major diplomatic incident and Russia finally paid some compensation in 1924. The nine Hull sailors from the ‘Magneta’ were buried at Murmansk by the Greek Orthodox Church. They are remembered on the Hull Memorial as one of the last casualties of war.
Here are 10 facts that tell the story of World War One at sea. Although primarily a land-war, there were significant skirmishes at sea. 1. The Battle of Heligoland Bight (August 1914) was the first naval battle of WW1 The British fleet ambushed and sunk three German light cruisers and one destroyer. 2. In 1914 SM U-9 (a German … Read more
‘HMT ARGYLL H923’ sunk 15th June 1915 On the 15th June 1915, the Hull vessel, was torpedoed by the submarine UC-11, off the Harwich coast. All seven Hull fishermen were lost: * ALDAN Albert (46), 4 St Andrews Street, Hull. Chief Engineer * BOWLES Fred (35), 6 Rugby Terace, Rugby Street, Hull. Deckhand * COWLAM Jack (29), 3 … Read more
‘SOUTHWARD HO’ was a 169 GRT steam trawler completed in 1899 by Doig & Broadley for S. T. While & Co. Ltd. and registered at Hull as H.456. She was reported missing on 27 May 1915 and is believed to have been lost approximately 88 nautical miles East by North of Spurn Head as a result … Read more
HMT ‘EMLEY 123’ sunk in the Firth of Forth, on 28th April 1918, with the loss of 8 crew. COLLEY, ROBERT , Trimmer (no. 7801TS), H.M. Trawler Emley, †28/04/1918, Memorial:Chatham Naval Memorial FITZPATRICK, GEORGE WILLIAM , Deck Hand (no. 9198DA), H.M. Trawler Emley, †28/04/1918, Memorial: Portsmouth Naval Memorial MACDONALD, JOHN (20), Leading Deck Hand (no. 14142DA), H.M. Trawler Emley, †28/04/1918, … Read more
HMT ‘COMMANDER FULLERTON’, was a destroyer, lost on 12th December 1917, trying to protect a convoy in the North Sea. She was sunk by SMS EMDEN and destroyers of the German Third Half-Flotilla on 12th December 1917. Destroyers PELLEW and PARTRIDGE, together with trawlers COMMANDER FULLERTON, LIVINGSTONE, LORD ALVERSTONE and TOKIO were escorting a Scandinavian convoy when attacked by the Germans. The … Read more
On the 15th June 1915, the Hull vessel, was torpedoed by the submarine UC-11, off the Harwich coast. All seven Hull fishermen were lost: * ALDAN Albert (46), 4 St Andrews Street, Hull. Chief Engineer * BOWLES Fred (35), 6 Rugby Terace, Rugby Street, Hull. Deckhand * COWLAM Jack (29), 3 Willows Grove, Somerset Street, Hull. Fireman * SOARDES … Read more
CREW LOST ON ‘CELIA (H989)’, in the North Sea, 8th January, 1915. Never seen again. HALDENBY, Thomas (43), 7 Claremont-Villas, Liverpool Street, Hull. Cook KINGDOM, Thomas (23) , 2 Clumber-Ave, Flinton Street, Hull. Deckhand LAVERACK, Daniel (18), 9 Florence-Terrace, Wassand Street, Hull. Fireman LONGTHORNE, Wilfred (27), 8 St. George-Avenue, Selby Street, Hull. Skipper MITCHELL, Alfred (20), Florence-Avenue, Westbourne Street, … Read more
CREW LOST ON ‘SEBASTIAN’, lost in the North Sea, 22nd May, 1915. Lost with all hands. AGNES, W. A (26), 12 Arthurs-Terrace, Walcott Street, Hull. Trimmer COWLING, Frederick (23), 13 Seaton-ter, Walcott st, Hull. 2nd/Engineer ELLIS, Herbert (26), 12 Fern-Grove, Eastbourne st, Hull. Cook FLEY, Albert (28), 11 Welton-ter, Wassand Street, Hull. Bosun GILLARD, Arthur (16), 34 Edinburgh … Read more
EARL (H436) was a Hull steam trawler, reported missing in the North Sea on 21/1/1916 BROWNHILL, A (51), 140 Regent Street, Hull. Cook BUCHAN, William (17), 30 Haddon Street, Hull. Trimmer COATES, William (20), 6 Empringham-Place, Daltry Street, Hull. 3rd/Hand COATES, William (59), 25 Buxton-ter, Daltry Street, Hull. Skipper JACKSON, Frederick (34), 236 Boulevard, Hull. 2nd/Hand … Read more
‘EROS’ was mined in the North Sea on the 8th June 1918. 7 lives, lost including Skipper. LOST CREW – HMT EROS AVERY, STEPHEN FREDERICK (32), Spare Hand, Steam Trawler Eros, †08/06/1918, Son of Robert Avery and the late Florence Avery; husband of Bertha Louisa Avery (nee Linkins), of 8, Princes Avenue, West Dock St., Hull. Born at … Read more
‘SOUTHWARD HO’ was a 169 GRT steam trawler completed in 1899 by Doig & Broadley for S. T. While & Co. Ltd. and registered at Hull as H.456. She was reported missing on 27 May 1915 and is believed to have been lost approximately 88 nautical miles East by North of Spurn Head as a result … Read more
CREW LOST ON ‘SHAKESPEARE (H994)’, sunk on 7th February 1917 by a U-boat gunfire. BRYON, Arnie, (-), 346 St. George’s Road, Hull. Skipper FARNSWORTH, James (28), 26 Brighton Sreet, Hull. 3rd/Hand HARRISON, James (40), 13 Flinton Street, Hull. Mate HUTCHINSON, John (30), Calthorpe-Gardens, Newington Street, Hull. Chief Engineer LAWRENCE, Charles (31), 8a Bedford-Place, Boston. 2nd/Engineer LEE, … Read more
‘INDUSTRIA‘, was built by Cook, Welton and Gemmell Ltd, Hull, 1887. It was sunk in the North Sea, on 21st March 1917, with the loss of nine lives. ACUM, John, (17), Trimmer, 18 Ireland terrace, Gillette Street, Hull BARKS, Thomas, (65), Cook, BURNETT, Walter, (53), Chief Engineer, 380 Boulevard, Hull CARNEY, Peter, (42), Deckhand, 22 Gillette … Read more
‘MALABAR’ was a steam trawler, completed in 1903 by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd., for the Hull Steam Fishing & Ice Co. Ltd. and registered at Hull as H.754. She had left Hull on 20th December 1915 and was posted missing on 3rd January 1916 in severe weather. The cause of her loss is unknown.There were … Read more
‘OTHELLO II’, built by Cook, Welton & Gemmell, Ltd., Beverley in 1907 and operated at the time of her loss by Royal Navy, was a British navy trawler of 206 tons. On October 31st, 1915, ‘OTHELLO II’, was sunk by a mine from the German submarine UC-6 (Matthias Graf von Schmettow), off Leathercoat. 9 persons were lost. LOST CREW … Read more
The youngest to die in the war were often served in ship crews. For example, George Edward Johnson,George Edward Plewes and Vincent Michael Nolanwere all lost on different ships in 1917. Each was only 14 years old when they died. Over 1,200 Hull sailors died in the war. One of many sad stories to tell wasLeonard Barmby, from … Read more
Britain’s submarines had spectacular successes in the Baltic and Dardenelles. However, its’ most important role was to blockade Germany’s coastline, and protect Britain against invasion. Out of Britain’s 86 submarines at the start of the war, 76 were also used to protect British coastlines and shipping. They were also used to lay mines, observe enemy … Read more
Hull lost 68 fishing vessels in the First World War. Here are a few. On February 19th, 1917, the Hull fishing trawler, ‘HALCYON’ was torpedoed by the German submarine U-71 (Hugo Schmidt), off Butt of Lewis. The following 11 persons were lost. CREW FV HALCYON BLAND, J W , Skipper, Halcyon, †19/02/1917, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial DAVIDSON, D , … Read more
The steamer ‘ROMEO’, James Neale, master, left Scapa on 23 February 1918 bound for Liverpool. She was on Admiralty charter for carrying meat and provisions to the Fleet, but was returning to Liverpool in ballast after having called in at Stornoway, remaining there for six days. She was equipped with a twelve pound gun for defence … Read more
‘DIDO’ was a British Merchant steamer of 4,769grt. On the 26th February 1916 when on route from Hull for India, she hit a mine, when 4 miles NNE from Spurn Light Vessel, North Sea. 28 lives were lost, including Master. Owned by Wilson Line, Hull. While lying at anchor at 6.15 a.m. during gale … Read more
Nearly 250 Hull men died in the First World War serving with the Royal Navy. Eleven men sank with HMS Good Hope, on the 1st November 1914. Ten died when HMS ‘Bulwark’, mysteriously exploded in the River Medway, on the 26th November 1914. Fifty Eight Hull men died at the Battle of Jutland on the 31st May 1916, … Read more
Hull has historically been a recruiting ground for the Royal Marines, who are world famous for fighting ‘On Land and Sea’. Thirty Seven Royal Marines from Hull died in the First World war, and another thirty Hull men died serving with the Royal Navy Division. At the start of the war there were between 20-30,000 … Read more
The Merchant Navy descibes Britain’s commercial ships and crews. It has existed throughout British history, and expanded greatly with the growth of the British Empire, and the resulting increase in trade. At the start of the war Britain controlled over 40% of the world’s merchant shipping. This proved vital during the First World War, in … Read more
The Steamship ‘CALYPSO’ was a 2,876grt British Merchantship built in 1904 by Earle’s SB. & Eng. Co., Ltd., Hull and owned by T. Wilson, Sons & Co., Ltd., Hull . There was accommodation for 57-1st, 44-2nd and 863-3rd class passengers.Taken up by the Admiralty in November 1914, she was renamed HMS CALYX and armed with … Read more
The ‘ZARA’ was a 1,331-ton cargo-passenger ship that measured: 257.0 x 35.2. Wm. Hamilton & Co., Port Glasgow built and completed her as Yard No.130 in June 1897 for Bailey & Leetham, Ltd., Hull. In 1903 she was owned by T. Wilson, Sons & Co., Ltd., Hull. In 1917 the registered owner was Ellerman’s Wilson Line, Ltd., … Read more
The Trawler ‘EGRET‘ was Launched on 30/09/1898; It was originally a Hull registered trawler (H.21) and owned by Great Northern Steamship Fishing Co., Hull; Requisitioned by the Admiralty in 1918, the Vessel was torpedoed and sunk without warning, 2 miles E x N of Spurn Light vessel; 11 lives were lost including the Master. LOST … Read more
Hull provided experienced sailors and a large number of ships to the war effort. They served in all the World’s Seas. Hull ships Crew’s often contained many sailors from abroad, who lived either on board or around the docks of Hull. Some of these overseas seamen are remembered here:- Emanuel KARIOTHIS, from Crete, Greece, lost on … Read more
The following are examples of some Hull Seamen, not recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission:- Fireman, Joseph Smith, lost at sea, on the Steam Ship, ‘Hildago’ on the 28th August 1917, aged 27. Cook, George Nunn, lost on the ‘Montebello’ on 21st June 1918. He was a 32 year old fisherman. Son of Sarah Nunn, 95 … Read more
We tend to approach war memorials with pathos and a narrative about the futility of war, but the generation that built them were actually proud of them. People wanted to show the pride of sacrifice. They even experienced joy that their fathers, husbands and sons, had stepped up to the plate in the time of need. War … Read more
