Kingston upon Hull War Memorial 1914 - 1918
The story of Hull in World War 1
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.
Walker Street WW1 Memorial Hull’s Walker Street war memorial is a grey, marble, obelisk, located outside the Church of Holy Apostles (Thornton Community Hall). It is dedicated to the men of Parish, killed in the First World War. Like most Hull memorials it was initiated by the local church, erected in the early 1920’s and paid … Read more
Private, Charles Francis McCol, 11/81, 1/4th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment, was executed for desertion, aged 26. He was the son of Annie McCol, of 6 Bramhan Avenue, Woodhouse Street, Hull. McCol had given up a reserved occupation to enlist in the 11th EYR in September, 1914. He had served in Egypt from November 1915, and … Read more
Pte, Richard Hill, a box maker at Reckitt’s, was killed on the Somme on the 1st October 1916. He left a brother Harold and five sisters. He lived at 2 Cicero Terrace, Swann Street and his family lived on Kent Street.
George Dugdale Banning, from 270 St Georges Road, enlisted in the 17th Northumberland Fusiliers. This was a Pals battalion made up of North Eastern Railway workers. He died of wounds on the 5th July 1916 leaving his fiancée Annie. He was one of 12 ‘pals’ from Hull who died with this battalion.
Driver, Henry Binks, Royal Field Artillery who had served in France for three years, died of influenza on the day the war ended. His best friend and Brother in Law, Cpl James Nix had been killed in action on the 21st May 1918, and another Brother in Law, Sgt, Charles John Nix, MM, had been … Read more
Pte, Charles Bell who before the attack tossed a coin with his friend Pte, Surfleet, to decide who would train the new recruits. Pte, Bell lost and was killed in action on the 13th November 1916.
, Female typists at work in the records room of prisoners property held by the POWIB. The offices of the institution were at 49 Wellington Street, Strand, London.
Pte, Harold Banks, 1/4th EYR, was taken prisoner on the 27th May 1918. He died in Cologne, on the 18th November 1918, aged 20 years old. He was the son of Zachariah & Eleanor Banks, 1 Floral Avenue, Edinburgh Street, Hull. His older brother Ted had been killed in France in 1916, aged 19 years.
Pte, William Ashwell, had his left leg amputated while a prisoner of war, and died from his wounds on the 18th June 1918. He was 38 years old and is buried at Sissons. He was the son of Robert and Martha Ashwell, and lived with his wife Annie and son at 69 Queens Street.
Stoker, Thomas Bennett, from the ‘Hawkes’ Battalion, Royal Navy Division, was captured and died on the 8th June 1917. He left a wife Harriet and children at 10 Albert Villas, Holland Street. He was 42 years old and buried at Groningen. Female members of the staff of the POWIB being taught German. The offices of … Read more
