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.
Pte, Alfred Fenton Johnson, 7th EYR was killed at Arras on 21/3/1918, aged 21. His brother, George Edward Johnson had died at sea on the 17th May 1917, aged only 15 years old. They were the sons of Mr Christopher Bacon and Mrs Louisa Johnson and lived at 426 Beverley Road
Pte, Alfred John Edward Piggott had emigrated from Hull and died fighting for Canada at Vimy Ridge on the 6th September 1916. His brother Fred Piggott was killed on the 18th September 1916 serving with Border Regiment on the Somme. His body was never recovered and he is recorded as missing on the Thiepval memorial … Read more
Pte, John William Blenkin, 9th Durham Light Infantry, was killed on the 14th April 1918, aged 33 years. His brother, Sgt, James Stephenson Blenkin, was killed 4 days later on the 18th April 1918, fighting for Canada, aged 35 years old. They were the sons of John and Barbara Blenkin, the Butchers Shop, 66 Sculcoates … Read more
Pte, Charlie William Bridges, 11th EYR died at Arras on the 24th March 1918, aged 22. His brother, Albert Bridges served with the Australian Imperial Force, and was killed in France on the 26th April 1918. They were the sons of Ellen and William Bridges who lived at 64 Sharp Street.
John Rowland Isley died with the 9th Warwickshire Regiment in Iraq, on the 25th January 1917. His brother William Alfred Isley, had been killed the previous year, fighting for the Australians at Villers Bretoneux on the 14th November 1916. They were the sons of Alfred and Lilley Isley who lived at 200 Newbridge Road, Hull.
Able Seaman, Charles Samuel Christtmass, Royal Navy, HMS Invincible, was killed at the battle of Jutland on the 31st May 1916. His brother Orlando Christtmass was killed fighting with the Royal Navy Division at Ypres on 31st October 1917. Both brothers were the sons of Sam and Lily Alice Christtmass, 220 Hawthorne Avenue.
Pte, Anthony Marr, 2nd EYR, killed at Ypres on 5th May 1915, was aged 28 years. His brother Pte, Samuel Marr, 6th EYR was killed at Gallipolli on the 9th August 1915, aged 34 years. He left his wife Martha Marr and 2 daughters at Courtney Street, Hull. Both brothers are commemorated on the Wilmington … Read more
Hull Pal, Pte, William Henry Newlove, was killed at Serre on the 13th November 1916. His brother George Newlove, Yorkshire Regiment, died of wounds at home on the 26th March 1918, and is buried in the Hull Northern cemetery. They were both aged 19 years old. Their parents Fred and Emma Newlove lived at 98 … Read more
David and Joseph Douglas were two more brothers lost in the war. They were the sons of David Batty and Alice Douglas at 53 Lambert Street, Newland Avenue. They were remembered on the Kings Hall Church, Roll of Honour at Symons Street until this was bombed in the Second World War.
Pte., John Robert Trowell, Northumberland Fusiliers, died in Greece, on 15th September 1916. His brother Pte., George Robert Trowell, was killed at Arras, on the 23rd April 1917, fighting with the East Yorkshire Regiment. They were the sons of Robert and Charlotte Trowell who lived at 81 Laburnum Avenue. Before the war both John and George Trowell worked … Read more
