BORN GERMANY 1885. NATURALISED GERMAN. HULL POLICEMAN. JOINED THE POLICE FORCE ON 17/07/1909 AND WAS WELL KNOWN AT THE NORFOLK STREET STATION. ONLY SON OF TOM & CATHERINE WESTON, OF 1, ANNS PLACE, OXFORD STREET, HULL (1901 CENSUS ADDRESS). IRISH FATHER, GERMAN MOTHER.
HE WAS CALLED UP AS A RESERVIST AND ENLISTED IN THE 12TH EYR (3RD HULL PALS). HE HAD BEEN INVALIDED HOME TWICE, ONCE WITH FROST BITE AT WITHERNSEA HOSPITAL. HE RETURNED TO FRANCE AND WAS KILLED ON THE ATTACK ON SERRE, 13/11/1916, AGED 32.
HE LEFT A WIDOW NELLIE (POPPLEWELL) AND TWO CHILDREN AT 4, WORSLEY STREET, BEVERLEY ROAD, HULL (WAR PENSION ADDRESS). THEY HAD THREE CHILDREN, PHYLIS, NELLIE & HARRY. SHE WAS AWARDED A WEEKLY WAR PENSION OF 26 SHILLINGS AND THREE PENCE.
HIS DEATH WAS ALSO REPORTED IN THE HULL DAILY MAIL ON THE 29TH NOVEMBER 1916, WITH HIS PHOTOGRAPH. *
Hull Pals Memorial Post. PRIVATE HARRY WESTON 7656. Interestingly Harry’s military records says that he was born in Hull, yet census records from 1891 and 1901 suggest he was born in Hessel, Germany in 1884, something he probably wanted to keep secret when signing up to fight for King and Country bearing in mind the anti-German hysteria and witch hunts which had infected the UK on the outbreak of war. He was the only child of Tom and Catherine Weston of 1 Ann’s Place, Sculcoates Lane, Hull. He married Nellie Stott in 1908 and the couple had two children- Phyllis and Harry Jnr. Harry enlisted at City Hall joining the 12th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment, 3rd Hull Pals and was killed in action on the Somme 13th November 1916. His body was never recovered and his name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial; he was 32 years old.
