Kingston upon Hull War Memorial 1914 - 1918
The story of Hull in World War 1
Over, 7,500 Hull men died in the First World War. Over 1,200 of these were sailors working with the fishing fleet, or serving with the Merchantile Marine, the Royal Navy and the Royal Navy Reserve. They carried out vital war work, bringing in supplies, transporting troops and minesweeping the seas
There were nearly another 1,500 men who were born in Hull, but who lived elsewhere. They died fighting for Australia, Canada, New Zealand and America. There are many others, who enlisted in Hull or who were associated with the City, but are not usually remembered on Hull war memorials. As Hull had four large hospitals and was the port of entry for repatriated prisoner of wars, servicemen from all over the world are buried in Hull. The Kingston Upon Hull Memorial aims to remember all those with a Hull connection who died in the First World War.
There are over a hundred families on the Hull Memorial that lost two or more of their family. Sometimes fathers, sons and brothers were lost on the same day. Some families lost three sons, other Hull families lost four sons, including all their children in the First World War. At least one in six Hull families lost a direct relative. Many others would lose close friends, work colleagues or others known to them. Each death was irreplaceable and an individual tragedy for someone.
Unfortunately, not all deaths were recorded in official casualty figures, particularly if soldiers died of sickness, accidents or were discharged home with wounds, of illness. By 1924 the Ministry of Pensions reported that there were 20,000 war wounded living in Hull. Although they survived the war, they are rarely recorded on war memorials. What follows here are snippets of some of those people who died, whose deaths were reported in the local newspapers.
Bombardier, Clarence Cuthbert Wetherell, 755085, RFA, was returned from Germany on 5th December 1918, as an injured Prisoner of War. He was discharged from the Army on the 8th December 1918, and died soon, after an operation at Hull Royal Infirmary. He was the son of Edward and Bessie Wetherell, 61 Balfour Street and before the war … Read more
Private, Ernest Brown, 1/4th East Yorkshire Regiment, ‘D’ Company, died of starvation, at the Worms Prison camp on 27th May 1917. He was 29 years old and lived at 3 Brighton Terrace, Kent Street, East Hull. His wife Annie Elizabeth Brown died in 1918. His parents George and Anna Brown also lived in Kent Street. Tom Campey, 84 … Read more
Private, Thomas Woodmansey, also of the 13th East Yorkshires, died on the 19th January 1917. It was reported in the Hull Daily Mail that he was one of four prisoners to have died of mistreatment. He was 20 years old and the son of Tom and Isabella Woodmansey, of 35 Day Street, Hull. His brother John also … Read more
Rifleman, William Harbron, 3585, Rifle Brigade 12th Bn. Bill Harbron was the son of Charles William and Elizabeth Harbron, at 1 Louisa Terrace, Hume Street, Hull. He was killed in action on the 6th June 1916 aged 20 years. He had served in France for 12 months, and was back less than 24 hours from … Read more
St Matthew’s Church Memorial, is one of Hull’s finest War Memorials. The community paid for a magnificent West Window, and two marble tablets, which record 139 men from St Matthew’s, who were killed in the 1914-1918 Great War. The West Window Memorial is a series of 46 beautiful, stained glass, windows, measuring approximately 6.5 m … Read more
Fred Lindo, Senior., was lost on the Hull ship ‘Khartoum’, on 26th March 1916. His son Fred Lindo, Junior, died seven months later, on the trawler ‘Lord Roberts’ on 26th October 1916. Their wife and mother was Jane Rebecca Lindo, 8 Blanche Grove, Brighton Street. Master Mariner, John Henry Ridsdill, skipper of the Trawler ‘Strymon’ … Read more
Private, William Arthur Rusholme, 7th East Yorkshires, ‘B’ Company, killed at Arras, on the 14th May 1917, aged 31. Private, John Henry Rusholme, 1st East Yorkshires, ‘A’ Company, killed on the 24th April 1918, aged 21. Private, Benjamin Rusholme, enlisted on the 13th January 1917, with the Sherwood Foresters, and killed on the 4th November … Read more
Troops of the 10th (Service) Battalion (1st Hull), East Yorkshire Regiment marching to the trenches near Doullens, 28June 1916. The following images are of the 13th East Yorkshire Bn (Hull Sportsmen), from the diaries of Private, George Williams, and his friend Lance Corporal, Charles Verity, MM, 13th EYR. (https://transcribathon.com/en/documents/id-17242/item-190593/) 10th East … Read more
PRIVATE, JOHN (JACKIE) SMITH, 10TH KOYLI. A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLER AND PROLIFIC GOAL SCORER, FOR NINE CLUBS, BETWEEN 1903-1914. HE SIGNED FOR HULL CITY FOOTBALL CLUB, IN JUNE 1905, AS A TEENAGER. PLAYED AS RIGHT BACK AND CENTRE FORWARD AND SCORED 98 GOALS IN 156 APPEARANCES, FOR HULL CITY, BETWEEN 1905-1910. HE SCORED A CLUB … Read more
Archbald & Fred Sims both served with the Northumberland Fusiliers. They died in France within weeks of each other in early 1917. They were the sons of Elizabeth Sims, at 2 Belle Vue Terrace, Alexandra Street, Hull.
Pte, Percy Walter Blanchard, died with the East Yorkshires, in France on 17/06/1916, aged 23. He was the son of John and Margaret Blanchard at 5 City Grove, Harrow Street. His brother, L/Cpl, Ernest Edward Blanchard, was killed with the East Yorkshires on the 20/04/1917, aged 26. He lived with his wife Ellen (nee Cook) … Read more
Sapper, Walter Binge, East Riding Engineers, died at Ypres on 23/5/16, aged 23. He was husband of Hilda at 3 Coronation Avenue, Rustenberg Street. Her brother John Wrigglesworth was gassed in the war. Pte, Harmen Binge, of the East Yorkshire Regiment, died six months later, on 3/1/17. He was also aged 23 and is buried at Meaulte. … Read more
Pte, Edward Arthur Anderson, Durham Light Infantry, killed 10/9/18, and Pte, John Rodman Anderson, Machine Gun Corps, killed 10/11/16. Both were 18 years old and died in France. They were the sons of Edward and Mary Ann Anderson, 19 Tomlinson Street, Newington. They are both commemorated on the memorial inside St Mathews Church, Boulevard.
THREE LEVITT BROTHERS. SONS OF HENRY & BETSY LEVITT, OF BURSTWICK AND 59 LEE STREET,HULL. PTE, ATHUR LEVITT, ENLISTED BEVERLEY, JOINING THE 1ST EAST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT. HE DIED OF WOUNDS, ON 29/10/1914, AGED 20, AT NO: 8 FIELD HOSPITAL, ERQUINGHEM. HIS OLDER BROTHER, GUNNER, WILLIAM LEVITT, RGA, WAS KILLED IN ACTION, ON 21/03/1918, AGED … Read more
Boatswain, Francis C Wilson, drowned in the North sea, when the ‘Gitano’ struck a mine on 26/2/17. His brother Paul, CEF, had died of heart failure, in January 1917, at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Another Brother, John Wilson, died on the ‘San Gregorio’, in November, 1917. Their Grandsons, Sgt, Ernest Barnby, 4th EYR, was killed in action on … Read more
Samuel and Charlotte Pearson lost three sons. Private, Sam Pearson, died with the 1st East Yorkshires, on 16/6/17. He was 33 years old and left a widow at 44 Great Union Street, Hull. His Brother John died serving the Canadian Engineers and is buried at Halifax, Nova Scotia. L/Cpl Charles Pearson, of the Dragoon Guards, … Read more
Cpl, Herbert William Hunt, 27777, RFA 50TH Bde., ‘C’ BTY, killed on the Somme, 5/11/16, aged 27. Sgt, Harry Hunt, MM, 755036, RFA 317TH Bde., ‘D’ BTY, died 30/12/17, aged 32. Pte., Albert Edward Hunt, 1265, 10th EYR, killed at Ypres, 29/9/18, aged 31. The three sons of John and Annie Hunt, at 10 Grange Terrace, Grange Street, … Read more
< Prev
Boatswain, Francis C Wilson, drowned in the North sea, when the ‘Gitano’ struck a mine on 26/2/17. His brother Paul, CEF, had died of heart failure, in January 1917, at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Another Brother, John Wilson, died on the ‘San Gregorio’, in November, 1917. Their Grandsons, Sgt, Ernest Barnby, 4th EYR, was killed in action on … Read more
Brothers Cyril and Sidney Webb, from 8 Wyndham Street, died within weeks of each other in 1918 as did Archibald & Fred Sims who both served with the Northumberland Fusiliers.
Britain’s War Memorial. 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 … Read more
A wide variety of sources have been used to compile the information presented on this website. Not all material is original and due credit is given to all original sources. Where possible they are listed below: Wikipedia Imperial War Museum Bing images Hull Daily Mail BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww1 Wreck Site – http://wrecksite.eu/Wrecksite.aspx Ancestry.co.uk The Mann Index collections – … Read more
2nd Lt, Douglas Cowl, from 194 Beverley Road was the organist and choirmaster of St Luke’s Church. He died at Arras with the 1/4th East Yorkshires on the 23rd April 1917, aged 31. He had enlisted on the 2nd September 1914 and had previously been wounded in 1916. He was the son of Richard and … Read more
Private, George Jacklin, 7th EYR, enlisted in 1916. He had only been in France for three weeks before he was killed on the 5th November 1916. He left his widow Sarah (Farnill) at 24 Glasgow Street, her parents at 82 Glasgow Street, and his Mother and family at 96 Egton Street. The loss of one … Read more
Pte, 716, Stanley Horsfield, was the first 10th East Yorkshire casualty of the war. He was the son of Geoffrey and Kate Horsfield at 10 Curzon Street. Stanley Horsfield, was a Painter by Trade and one of the first to join the Hull Pals Regiment. He was killed by a ‘Minnie’ explosion on the 29th … Read more
The first Hull man killed in the War, was Private, Frederick George Mileham, 18th Queen Mary’s Own Hussars. He died on the 24th August 1914. He was a regular soldier, who before the war had served in Egypt and India. He was 35 years old and the fourth son of George and Mary Ann Mileham … Read more
Pte, James Blain, enlisted in the 13th EYR, at Hull City Hall in September 1914. He died of wounds in 1916, having served in Egypt and France. He left his wife Gertrude and 5 children at Holborn Street, Hull.
Henry George Bacon, left a wife and seven children at 90 Porter Street, Hull, when his ship sank in the Indonesian sea, on the 17th November 1917.
Pte, Walter Morrod, killed with the East Yorkshire Pioneers at Gallipoli left a wife and 5 children at 2 Anvil Terrace, Spring Street. He was killed on 21st August 1915, aged 23 years old.
Pte, Mark Armstrong, from 6 Alaska Street, was killed at Serre on the 13th November 1916. He left his wife Jane and six children.
Sydney Herbert Hick, Royal Navy died on the 20th August 1918, leaving a widow Violet and a 10 day old baby.
Pte, James Clater from Holland Street left 7 children when he was killed on the 27th January 1918. Skipper, John Henry ROUSE, was lost with all hands, on the Steam Trawler, ‘Oxford’, on the 10th September 1914. He left his wife Elizabeth and 9 children at 35 Scarborough Street.
Pte. William Oswald Stones, KRRC, was killed on the 25th July 1916. He left his Wife Emma and 8 orphans, at 79 Clarendon Street.
Pte, James Henry Beal was killed in 1915 aged 37. He left his widow Mary Elizabeth Beal and ten children at 10 Claremont Avenue, Day Street.
My name is Paul Bishop. I have lived and worked in Hull, for the last 35 years. My interest in the Hull Memorial started in the mid 1980’s, when I lived in Folkestone Street, off Sculcoates Lane, in Hull. While waiting outside a white, telephone box (this was before mobile phones!), I noticed the ‘Great … Read more
Pte, Joseph Frederick Childs, formerly of the Manchester Regiment died of wounds on the 4th June 1922. He was 31years old and the son of James and Margaret Childs from 16 Spittle Street. His brother William Herbert Childs had also died of wounds in Hull on the 2nd December 1915, aged 22. Their father, Pte, … Read more
Walter Edwin McClaren, Skipper of the Steam Ship ‘ George Fisher’ died of war wounds on 19th February 1923. This Master Mariner was 58 years old when he anchored at last. His wife and children who lived at 24 Westminster Avenue later emigrated to America.
Pte William Wardell Wallis, 17th Lancers, had been invalided from the army in 1911. He nevertheless, rejoined during the war, and died of his wounds on the 8th February 1919. He was aged 37, is buried in Hull Western Cemetery and lived at 37 Rodney Street.
Gunner, Harry Nock was a professional soldier. He had served in the Royal Field Artillery for 18 years before dying on the 20th November 1918, aged 34. He lived at 78 St Marks Street and is commemorated on the Dansom Street memorial.
Pte, George Robert Mitchell, died of flu on the 4th November 1918 aged only 19. He lived with his mother Minnie Gibson at 1 Bean Street, Hull. Company Sergeant Major, Kelly, of the 11th East Yorkshires, was discharged on the 16th February 1919. He died four days later of flu, in Hull Royal Infirmary, on the … Read more
Pte, John Mann, one of the original Hull Pals who had served throughout the campaigns in Egypt and France, died of pneumonia following wounds on the 16th November 1918. He was 26 years old and the son of James and Sarah Mann who lived at 97 Arundle Street.
Pte, Clarence Bilbe, 10th EYR, had served in Egypt and on the Western Front when he died on flu on the 15th November 1918. He was 21 and lived with his parents at 131 Fountain Road.
‘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
