Kingston upon Hull War Memorial 1914 - 1918
The story of Hull in World War 1
The Hull Memorial remembers the 1,200 sailors from Hull and abroad, who died during the First World War.
The ongoing peril of unexploded sea mines would claim the lives of Hull fisherman, long after the war had ended. For example, the Hull trawler ‘Gitano’ struck a mine and was sunk with all hands on the 23rd December 1918.
The Hull trawler ’Scotland’ struck a mine on the 13th March 1919, killing seven Hull men.
Two days later the steam ship ‘Durban’ exploded‘, killing another eight Hull sailors.
The ‘Isle of Man’ (Hull) exploded on the 14th December 1919, killing seven Hull fishermen, and the steam ship ‘Barbados’ exploded on the 5th November 1920, taking another ten Hull men. These included the two Weaver brothers killed on the same day.
Many of these seaman had survived the war, only to be its victims after whilst trying to earn a living for their families. In all over 1,200 Hull men died at sea during the First World War and the majority have no known grave.
Another tragedy was the loss of the fishing trawler ‘Magneta’ on the 31st January 1922, during the Russian Civil war. While being placed under false arrest, by the Russian authorities, the ‘Magneta’ was dragged into a port unsuitable for anchorage, and wrecked on a reef, during a hurricane. Nine Hull fishermen were lost. The arrest of the ‘Magneta’ became a major diplomatic incident and Russia finally paid some compensation in 1924. The nine Hull sailors from the ‘Magneta’ were buried at Murmansk by the Greek Orthodox Church. They are remembered on the Hull Memorial as one of the last casualties of war.
EARL (H436) was a Hull steam trawler, reported missing in the North Sea on 21/1/1916 BROWNHILL, A (51), 140 Regent Street, Hull. Cook BUCHAN, William (17), 30 Haddon Street, Hull. Trimmer COATES, William (20), 6 Empringham-Place, Daltry Street, Hull. 3rd/Hand COATES, William (59), 25 Buxton-ter, Daltry Street, Hull. Skipper JACKSON, Frederick (34), 236 Boulevard, Hull. 2nd/Hand … Read more
‘EROS’ was mined in the North Sea on the 8th June 1918. 7 lives, lost including Skipper. LOST CREW – HMT EROS AVERY, STEPHEN FREDERICK (32), Spare Hand, Steam Trawler Eros, †08/06/1918, Son of Robert Avery and the late Florence Avery; husband of Bertha Louisa Avery (nee Linkins), of 8, Princes Avenue, West Dock St., Hull. Born at … Read more
‘SOUTHWARD HO’ was a 169 GRT steam trawler completed in 1899 by Doig & Broadley for S. T. While & Co. Ltd. and registered at Hull as H.456. She was reported missing on 27 May 1915 and is believed to have been lost approximately 88 nautical miles East by North of Spurn Head as a result … Read more
CREW LOST ON ‘SHAKESPEARE (H994)’, sunk on 7th February 1917 by a U-boat gunfire. BRYON, Arnie, (-), 346 St. George’s Road, Hull. Skipper FARNSWORTH, James (28), 26 Brighton Sreet, Hull. 3rd/Hand HARRISON, James (40), 13 Flinton Street, Hull. Mate HUTCHINSON, John (30), Calthorpe-Gardens, Newington Street, Hull. Chief Engineer LAWRENCE, Charles (31), 8a Bedford-Place, Boston. 2nd/Engineer LEE, … Read more
‘INDUSTRIA‘, was built by Cook, Welton and Gemmell Ltd, Hull, 1887. It was sunk in the North Sea, on 21st March 1917, with the loss of nine lives. ACUM, John, (17), Trimmer, 18 Ireland terrace, Gillette Street, Hull BARKS, Thomas, (65), Cook, BURNETT, Walter, (53), Chief Engineer, 380 Boulevard, Hull CARNEY, Peter, (42), Deckhand, 22 Gillette … Read more
‘MALABAR’ was a steam trawler, completed in 1903 by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd., for the Hull Steam Fishing & Ice Co. Ltd. and registered at Hull as H.754. She had left Hull on 20th December 1915 and was posted missing on 3rd January 1916 in severe weather. The cause of her loss is unknown.There were … Read more
‘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
