BORN HULL 1895. SON OF THOMAS & MARY HART, OF 11 HOWARDS ROW, CHAPMAN STREET, HULL (1911 CENSUS). A GENERAL LABOURER.
HE ENLISTED IN HULL. SERVED WITH THE 23RD TYNESIDE SCOTTISH. HE WAS KILLED DURING A TRENCH RAID, ON 11/02/1917, AGED 22.
UNMARRIED HIS ARMY EFFECTS WERE LEFT TO HIS MOTHER, MARY.
HE IS COMMEMORATED ON THE PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL, BELGIUM.
HIS NAME APPEARS ON THE ST CHARLES BORROMEO CHURCH MEMORIAL.
Major Bertram Brewin’s diary provides some detail of the raid itself, of which he says the main objective was a position (according to a sketch map in Brewin’s account) located in the support line which “…looked, from aeroplane photos, like a company Head Quarters with dug outs.” Brewin’s account continues…
” ‘A’ Company ran up against heavy resistance (there was no doubt the Bosch knew of the projected raid) and MG fire. [The company] … only got as far as the parapet, exchanging bombs. Daggett, commanding ‘A’ Company was lost there: he was wounded and never found. ‘B’ Company never even got to the parapet (they had the worst company commander) and the men apparently never attempted anything. ‘D’ met strong opposition, and had a bombing combat but got in, and pushed towards ‘B’, but as ‘B’ never came they got pushed back and out. ‘C’ got in and the party went straight for [the German HQ] consisting of Lieut Algie and six men. The support party … had to go and assist the block as the Bosch were pressing in, and they had to keep the bridge head clear for Algie to get back to. Algie got [to the German HQ] blew up one dug out when they refused to emerge, and captured two prisoners in another and then dashed back again: all got back with two wounded. Daggett of ‘A’ killed, Freeman of ‘D’ died of wounds. Heron and Common of ‘C’ Watson of ‘D’, Young of ‘A’ wounded. 22 men were killed in the raid and 3 died of wounds soon after.
The war diary later records a second DSO, awarded to Lt-Col Porch, and five – rather than four – MCs. In addition to the Military Crosses, four men were awarded the DCM, eleven men were awarded the MM and one man the Medaille Militaire.
