Kingston upon Hull War Memorial 1914 - 1918
The story of Hull in World War 1
12th East Yorkshire Regiment (Hull Sportsmen)
Hull loves its sport and even formed its own battalion of sportsmen during the First World War. The 12th EYR Battalion was a ‘Hull Pals Battalion’, formed on the 11th August 1914, by Lord Nunburnholme and the East Riding Territorial Force. It specifically recruited local sportsmen, with the intention that the camaraderie engenered by sports, would prove an effective fighting force. In December 1915, the 12th EYR, sailed for Alexandria in Egypt to defend the Suez Canal. In March 1916, it transferred to France and operated in the front line trenches, opposite the village of Serre. After suffering heavy losses at the Battles of the Somme in 1916 and at Arras in 1917, the Hull Sportsman’s Battalion, had to be disbanded in France, on the 8th February 1918.
During the course of the war, the Hull Sportsman Battalion, lost 366 men, with 138 of them killed on one day, at the Battle of Ancre, on the 13th November 1916. It was here that Jack Cunningham, of the 12th EYR, won Hull’s first Victoria Cross. In all, the 12th East Yorkshire’s received a number of awards for bravery. This included 1 Distinguished Service Order, 9 Military Crosses, 16 Military Medals and 8 Distinguished Conduct Medals. Eight servicemen with the 12th were also mentioned in Dispatches.
HULL CITY PLAYERS SERVED IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR
James Cleland
James McIntosh
Billy Mercer
James Middlehurst
Douglas Morgan – Killed. Served as Gunner, 78176, 168th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, died of wounds, on 31/12/1916, aged 26. Son of Mr. and Mrs. James Morgan; husband of Agnes Morgan, of Inverkeithing, Fife.
Jack Lyon
FORMER HULL CITY PLAYERS SERVED IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR
Stan Dixon
Stan Fazackerley
Patrick Lavery – Killed. Served as Private,17383, 10th Highland Light Infantry. Killed on the opening day of the Battle of Loos, on 25/09/1915, aged 30. Son of Edward and Jane Lavery, of 40, Clyde Place, Bothwell, Bothwellhaugh, Glasgow.
Sam Lyon
Martin Spendiff
Jock Taylor – Killed. Served as Private, John Taylor, 21247, 13th Royal Scots, killed in action, on 15/09/1916, aged 30. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, of 21, Duff St., Edinburgh.
https://www.footballandthefirstworldwar.org/hull-city-association-football-club-first-world-war/
Other Hull Sportsmen – https://www.ww1hull.com/other-sportsmen/
PRIVATE, JOHN (JACKIE) SMITH, 10TH KOYLI. A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLER AND PROLIFIC GOAL SCORER, FOR NINE CLUBS, BETWEEN 1903-1914. HE SIGNED FOR HULL CITY FOOTBALL CLUB, IN JUNE 1905, AS A TEENAGER. PLAYED AS RIGHT BACK AND CENTRE FORWARD AND SCORED 98 GOALS IN 156 APPEARANCES, FOR HULL CITY, BETWEEN 1905-1910. HE SCORED A CLUB … Read more
Another Hull FC Rugby player, Lieutenant, Jack Harrison, VC, MC, of the East Yorkshire Regiment, was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously, at Oppy Wood, on the 3rd May 1917. Jack Harrison was a record try scorer for Hull, scoring 52 tries in one season and 106 tries in 116 matches up to 1916. He was … Read more
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
