Nock
Gunner, Harry Nock was a professional soldier. He had served in the Royal Field Artillery for 18 years before dying on the 20th November 1918, aged 34. He lived at 78 St Marks Street and is commemorated on the Dansom Street memorial.
Our Losses
Over, 7,500 Hull men died in the First World War. Over 1,200 of these were sailors working with the fishing fleet, or serving with the Merchantile Marine, the Royal Navy and the Royal Navy Reserve. They carried out vital war work, bringing in supplies, transporting troops and minesweeping the seas
There were nearly another 1,500 men who were born in Hull, but who lived elsewhere. They died fighting for Australia, Canada, New Zealand and America. There are many others, who enlisted in Hull or who were associated with the City, but are not usually remembered on Hull war memorials. As Hull had four large hospitals and was the port of entry for repatriated prisoner of wars, servicemen from all over the world are buried in Hull. The Kingston Upon Hull Memorial aims to remember all those with a Hull connection who died in the First World War.
There are over a hundred families on the Hull Memorial that lost two or more of their family. Sometimes fathers, sons and brothers were lost on the same day. Some families lost three sons, other Hull families lost four sons, including all their children in the First World War. At least one in six Hull families lost a direct relative. Many others would lose close friends, work colleagues or others known to them. Each death was irreplaceable and an individual tragedy for someone.
Unfortunately, not all deaths were recorded in official casualty figures, particularly if soldiers died of sickness, accidents or were discharged home with wounds, of illness. By 1924 the Ministry of Pensions reported that there were 20,000 war wounded living in Hull. Although they survived the war, they are rarely recorded on war memorials. What follows here are snippets of some of those people who died, whose deaths were reported in the local newspapers.
Mitchell
Pte, George Robert Mitchell, died of flu on the 4th November 1918 aged only 19. He lived with his mother Minnie Gibson at 1 Bean Street, Hull. Company Sergeant Major, Kelly, of the 11th East Yorkshires, was discharged on the 16th February 1919. He died four days later of flu, in Hull Royal Infirmary, on the … Read more
Mann
Pte, John Mann, one of the original Hull Pals who had served throughout the campaigns in Egypt and France, died of pneumonia following wounds on the 16th November 1918. He was 26 years old and the son of James and Sarah Mann who lived at 97 Arundle Street.
Bilbe
Pte, Clarence Bilbe, 10th EYR, had served in Egypt and on the Western Front when he died on flu on the 15th November 1918. He was 21 and lived with his parents at 131 Fountain Road.
SS ‘OTHELLO II’ lost 31st October 1915
‘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
Young and Old Shipmates
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
Hull’s Submariners
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
HMT ‘HALCYON’ sunk fishing, 19th February, 1917
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
SS ‘ROMEO’ sank 3rd March 1918
The steamer ‘ROMEO’, James Neale, master, left Scapa on 23 February 1918 bound for Liverpool. She was on Admiralty charter for carrying meat and provisions to the Fleet, but was returning to Liverpool in ballast after having called in at Stornoway, remaining there for six days. She was equipped with a twelve pound gun for defence … Read more
