Kingston upon Hull War Memorial 1914 - 1918
The story of Hull in World War 1
This web site is provided as a public service at no charge. While we attempt to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the user is cautioned that whilst every effort is made to verify the accuracy of the information, no responsibility is taken or accepted for information deemed to be erroneous. You may … Read more
Sapper, Joseph Burn, Royal Engineers, of 18, Grove Terrace, Spyvee Street, Hull, had served in France, before being posted to East Africa. He committed suicide, by cutting his throat, on 10th June 1917, aged 23. He had served in the army for over five years, was judged to be of sound mind and his family … Read more
Not all deaths were a result of active service. Many deaths were caused by accidents or friendly fire in training. For example there were five fatal shootings and three serious injuries in August 1914, at the beginning of the war, all involving soldiers from Territorial regiments ar home. Three of the killings involved soldiers being … Read more
09/01/2015 by admin – Paul Bishop St Matthews Church, Boulevard, Hull. Built in 1870, with a landmark spire. The Church served the Community for over 150 years, before closing in 2014. St Matthew’s Church Memorial, is one of Hull’s most impressive War Memorials. The community paid for a magnificent West Window, and two marble tablets, which record … Read more
Private, William Lee, cut his throat in Billet, on Beverley Road, on the 19/10/15. He was a Hull man aged 36. He served as 23186, in 3rd Battalion of the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. His wife lived at 53 Luke Street, Liverpool. (Hull Daily Mail 20/10/15) Robert Hume, a discharged soldier from Hull, cut … Read more
Arthur James Holmes died falling into the dry dock at Hull on 12th November 1915. Lieutenant, Edward Allen Kitching, Royal Field Artillery, 27th Bde., was injured when dismounting from his horse, he was thrown in front of a lorry. He died at Hull Royal Infirmary on the 8th September 1915, aged 27 years. 2nd L/t, … Read more
There are many Hull casualties which do not appear in Official War records. Sadly, this is not unusual, as details of deaths were compiled hurriedly to inform relatives, and errors were made in the confusion. In an era of hand written records, and lower literacy levels, names could be mis scribed. Heavy accents meant names … Read more
Pte, Charles Frederick McColl, 11/81, 1/4th East Yorkshire Regiment, (pictured) was executed for desertion on 28 December 1917, aged 26. He was the son of John McColl and Annie Hope, of 6, Bramham Avenue, Woodhouse Street, Hull. McColl was the eldest son and second of five children. He had three sisters and a brother, who … Read more
The Hull Jewish community is one of the three oldest in England. The Hull ports made travel easier for traders and peddlers, allowing Jewish businesses to flourish and encouraging them to put down roots. Hull’s first recorded Jewish inhabitant in 1766 was Michael Levy, a watchmaker. In 1788 a local jeweler, Aaron Jacobs, created an … Read more
As an ancient, thriving Port, Kingston Upon Hulll, has always attracted people and been a City of great diversity. Between 1836-1914, 2.2 million people, mostly from Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Russia and Sweden, passed through Hull, en route, to America, Canada, South Africa and Australia. While some these people stayed, adding to Hull’s commerce and … Read more
John Cunningham, VC (28 June 1897 – 21 February 1941) was a recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Cunningham was 19 years old, and a Private in the 12th (Service) Battalion, (the … 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
Hull Royal Infirmary Naval Hospital The first hospital organised by Lady Nunburnholme (Lady Marjorie Wynn-Carrington), was the Naval Hospital at Hull’s Western General Hospital (now called the Hull Royal Infirmary). It was located at Argyle Street, Hull, next to today’s Hull Royal Infirmary. Originally opened in 1914, to help Hull’s poor and sick people from … Read more
The Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) was a voluntary organisation, providing field nursing services, mainly in hospitals to Britain and various other countries in the British Empire. The organisation was founded in 1909, with the help of the Red Cross and Order of St John. By the summer of 1914 there were over 2,500 Voluntary Aid Detachments … Read more
In 1914, there were some 120 separate, railway companies in Britain. The North Eastern Railway (NER) in Hull, saw about a third of its staff enlist, with 18,339 railwaymen or 34% of the workforce, released for military service. Of these, 2,236 of these men died during the war, and 300 received military decorations. With the … Read more
Unique to Hull was the creation of a voluntary Special Constabulary. Comprised of mature men over military age and drawn from all classes of Society, it raised over 3,000 Special Constables during the First World War and released large numbers of men for active service. Under the Command of Captain George Morley, the Chief Constable … Read more
Four Volunteer battalions were raised by Lord Lieutenant & Colonel, W Lambert White, to release regular soldiers for overseas service. (Two for Hull and two for East Riding). These were formed by men too old for active service on 4th August 1914 and disbanded when the war ended. The 1st Battalion formed themselves into a … Read more
Apart from Official recruitment, Hull and East Yorkshire also formed an unofficial home defence force, consisting of men too old, or ineligible to enlist. This force had its origins in the formation of ‘rifle clubs’ by members of Hull Golf Club, who pressed for official recognition. On 20th December 1914, Lord Nunburnholme at a meeting … Read more
The First World War was an artillery war. The Royal Artillery like their motto “Ubique” served everywhere and suffered nearly 50,000 casualties in the First World war. The Regiment used an immense range of weapons and has its own unique War Memorial at Hyde Park Corner in London. The Heavy Guns of the Royal Garrison … Read more
Hull was unusual in that it recruited an entire (Hull) Brigade in the 31st Army Division. This included five ‘Hull Pals’ battalions which were five Infantry Regiments, three Heavy Artillery Batteries and a Divisional Ammunition Column. After a short spell in Egypt, the Hull Pals, served on the Western Front from 1916 until the end … Read more
Hull has historically enjoyed successful trade links with most of the ports of Northern Europe, from Antwerp in the west, to St. Petersburg in the east, Le Havre in the south and to Trondheim in the north. Between 1836-1914, 2.2 million people, mostly from Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Russia and Sweden, passed through Hull, on … Read more
The First World War was the first truly global conflict. Between 1914 and 1918, more than 100 countries from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australasia, and Europe were part of the conflict in some form. The British Army alone consisted of troops from six different continents: Europe, North America, South America, Australasia, Asia and Africa. The … Read more
The East Yorkshire Regiment was the local army regiment, which many Hull men joined and died. The origins of the East Yorkshire Regiment (The Duke of York’s Own), can be traced back to 1685. During the Great War 1914-1918, The Regiment raised a total of 35 Battalion and fought in the major theatres of war; … Read more
At the outbreak of the war in August 1914, the British regular army was a small professional force. It consisted of 247,432 regular troops organised into 10 regiments of Guards, 157 infantry battalions, 31 cavalry regiments, artillery and other support arms. Almost half of the regular army (74 of the 157 infantry battalions and 12 of … Read more
While many First World War records are incomplete or lost, there are regimental histories, and organizations, such as the Commonwealth War Grave Commission which can help trace those that died. Electoral records can link these men to particular streets and areas. The Absent Voters Registers 191819, can help identify a serviceman’s address at the end … Read more
In November 2012, the Western Front Association acquired some 6.5 million Pension Record Index Cards and Ledgers. These help cross check information and can potentially provide unique information, such as an individuals unit, next of kin, wounds and injuries received (or disabling ailments), recovery from wounds and injuries in the post war years and pension … Read more
Searching soldier’s records to positively identify a serviceman, their unit and where they lived is also difficult. Over 60% of the National Archives were destroyed in the 1940 London Blitz. This included the War Records of five million British men and women that served in the World War One.There is another set of records called … Read more
Name Position Department Rank Regiment Address Death Age Brambles, James Conductor Tramways Pte. East Lancs 1/5th 14, Frederick Terrace, Hawthorne Avenue, Hull 24/08/1918 22 Bright, Frederick Temp. Clerk Accounts C.S.M Durham Light Infantry, 27th 7. Cave Street 04/03/1918 48 Burton, George Car Washer Tramways Pte. East Riding RGA Marshall Street 01/09/1922 49 Campey, Tom Conductor … Read more
Unlike many cities, Hull does not have a public memorial which lists all the names of the fallen in the First World War. Hull has a Cenotaph at Paragon Square, but this does not list any individual names. The ‘Golden Book’ of Remembrance commissioned after the war and kept at the Holy Trinity Church, in … Read more
The Hull Corporation recorded that 7,000 men died in the war and 14,000 were wounded, of which 7,000 were maimed. There were over a hundred Hull families that lost two or more from the same family. At least ten Hull families lost three sons and four Hull families, lost four sons. Many more returned injured … Read more
At least eight Hull men died on the 11th November 1918, the last day of the First World War.
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
There were also many young men killed in the armed forces. Probably one of the youngest was Private, Harry Jipson, 1351, 12th East Yorkshires, killed in action at Loos on the 24th August 1916. He was only 16 years old, and lived at 73 Regent Street. The Hull WW1 Memorial contains the names of a … Read more
Many Hull Mariners and experienced Skippers were lost during the First World war. The oldest may have been Joseph William Atkinson, Chief of the Steamship ‘Tummell’ (Hull). He was lost at sea on the 24th February 1916, aged 64 years. The youngest to die in the war were often in the same ship crews. For … Read more
We now call it the First World War or World War One. Contemporaries certainly thought it was a world war and called it that. The term “World War” (Weltkrieg) first appeared in Germany in 1914. The French and British referred to the war as “La Grande Guerre” or the “Great War”, but also adopted the term … Read more
While fighting during WW1 spanned the globe, the Western Front was the primary focus of Britain’s war. The ‘Western Front’ marked the furthest German advances. It was a 400 mile battle line, extending from the North Sea coast at Nieuwpoort, to the Swiss border. The French held about 360 miles of this line and carried much of … Read more
OPPY WOOD, 3rd May 1917 – The Hull Pals Attack The Capture of Oppy Wood was an engagement, North East of Arras, between May and June 1917. The Germans were in possession of a fortified wood to the west of the village of Oppy, which overlooked British positions. The wood was 1-acre (0.40 ha) in area and contained many German observation … Read more
A separate, but related event to the Great War, was the great 1918 flu pandemic. It exclusively attacked human beings and not other animals. This deadly flu virus infected more than one-third of the world’s population, and within months had killed more than 50 million people – three times as many in World War I … Read more
Hull has been a port since medieval times. It was founded over 900 years ago, by Monks from Meaux Abbey, who used the deep, wide, Humber, to trade wool into Europe. Hull was recognised as a trading city by King William and became Kingston Upon Hull in 1299. Hull has since had a long and … Read more
Hull’s contribution during the First World War is often underestimated. As a North Eastern, coastal City with a population of approximately 300,000, Hull citizens served extensively across all branches of the British Army, Royal Navy, Merchant Navy, Royal Air Force, and the Home Defence. They also died serving Commonwealth nations such as Canada, Australia and … Read more