BORN HULL 1890. SECOND SON OF WILLIAM JAMES McCANN (1865-1921) & MARY ELIZABETH CAPES (1866-1942), AT 110, SPYVEE STREET, HULL (WAR PENSION & ARMY RECORDS ADDRESS). SON OF A CARPENTER. ONE OF SEVEN CHILDREN. HE HAD THREE BROTHERS AND THREE SISTERS. EMPLOYED AS AN APPRENTICE BLACKSMITH. DESCRIBED AS 5 FOOT, 4 INCHES TALL, 36-38 CHEST SIZE, GOOD PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT.
HE ENLISTED IN HULL, ON 15/01/1915. SERVED AR PRIVATE, 28440, ‘B’ COMPANY, 8TH EAST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT. HE WAS WOUNDED IN THE BACK AND THIGH, ON 15/03/1917. RETURNED TO HIS UNIT, ON 21/04/1917. KILLED IN ACTION, ON 03/05/1917, AGED 27. HIS MOTHER RECEIVED HIS ARMY EFFECTS. HE WAS UNMARRIED BUT LEFT HIS FIANCE ALICE.
BURIED IN FRANCE. HIS GRAVE INSCRIPTION, READS, “GOD BE WITH YOU TILL WE MEET AGAIN ONE OF THE BEST”
HIS OLDER BROTHER, JOHN WILLIAM McCANN, 7TH EYR, WAS KILLED IN ACTION, ON 13/08/1916, ALSO AGED 27 YEARS.
During the Second Battle of the Scarpe (23–25 April) 8th Bde was moved up in support of 15th (S) Division and did not join the attack Again, on 28 April, although the 8th EYR ‘stood to’ to support 12th (Eastern) Division at the Battle of Arleux, it was not engaged, though it suffered a number of casualties from shellfire both before and after the attack. The Third Battle of the Scarpe on 3 May 1917, was another matter: 3rd Division had been in the line for 10 days, although the divisional commander had managed to keep 8th and 9th Bdes relatively fresh before they took over the front line trenches on 1 May. Despite attacking before dawn there was no surprise and just before Zero (03.45) the enemy guns deluged the division’s front with HE and gas shells, so the men had to wear their respirators while forming up. When it attacked, 8th Brigade fell into confusion in the darkness, partly because the enemy had pushed parties of riflemen out into shell holes in No man’s land where they were missed by the barrage. 8th East Yorkshires in the second wave quickly ran into 1st Royal Scots Fusiliers (RSF) in front, who were completely held up. By the end of the day the brigade held a series of outposts in No man’s land. Despite its heavy casualties – 6 officers killed (including the Padre), one wounded, 35 other ranks killed, 161 wounded and 39 missing – 8th EYR had to take over the line during the night from the even more shattered 1st RSF. Although the battalion was ordered to reorganise to continue the operations, both sides spent 4 May collecting wounded under Red Cross flags. The battalion spent the night of 4/5 May working on outposts and trenches.
Although 8th EYR was later awarded the Battle honour for the Capture of Roeux that ended the Arras offensive on 13–4 May, it did not actually take part in the fighting.
