BORN HULL 28/02/1890. ELDEST SON OF DAVID BLACKBOURN (1860-1947) & EMMA HICKSON (1865-1896), OF 17, FRANCIS TERRACE, RODNEY STREET, HULL (1901 CENSUS) AND 55, NICHOLSON STREET, HULL. SON OF A BAKER. HE HAD TWO BROTHERS AND TWO SISTERS.
HE WORKED AS A TRAVELLING SALESMAN FOR WINE AND SPIRITS (1911 CENSUS) AND AS A MACHINE MAN AND DYE SETTER, BEFORE HE JOINED THE WAR. DESCRIBED AS 5 FOOT, 9 INCHES TALL, 124 LBS WEIGHT, 34-36 INCH CHEST.
HE MARRIED ETHEL TURNER, AT ST ANDREWS, DRYPOOL, HULL, ON 28/12/1911. THEY HAD ONE SON, RONALD, BORN 10/01/1914. HIS ARMY RECORDS ADDRESS WAS 13, DERWENT STREET, GARDEN VILLAGE, HULL. HIS WIFE, ETHEL TURNER (1885-1968) AND SON, RONALD, THEN MOVED TO 91, LABURNHAM AVENUE, HULL (WAR PENSION & HULL DAILY MAIL ADDRESS, 22/04/1918).
ENLISTED IN HULL, ON 20/11/1915. POSTED TO FRANCE, ON 18/12/1916. SERVED AS PRIVATE, 53318, “A” COMPANY, 1/5TH DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY. WOUNDED IN THE THIGH, HE RETURNED TO RED CROSS HOSPITAL, LLANDUDNO, WALES, ON 11/05/1917. HE RETURNED TO THE FRONT, ON 27/11/1917. KILLED DURING THE GERMAN SPRING OFFENSIVE, ON 22/03/1918, AGED 31.
HE IS COMMEMORATED ON THE POZIERES MEMORIAL, TO THE MISSING ON THE SOMME DURING 1918. HE HAD SERVED IN THE ARMY FOR 2 YEARS AND 123 DAYS.
HE LEFT BROTHER, HARRY (WHO SERVED IN EGYPT), SISTER LILLY, AND BROTHER IN LAW, HARRY OLIVER, AT 4, HELEN TERRACE, FINSBURY STREET, HULL. ANOTHER SISTER EMMA, LIVED AT 2 WARNE GROVE, ALEXANDRA ROAD, HULL.
HIS DEATH WAS REPORTED IN THE HULL DAILY MAIL, ON 22/04/1918.
HIS NAME IS INSCRIBED ON THE STONE PILLAR WW1 MEMORIAL, AT ST MARY’S CHURCH SCULCOATES LANE, WHERE HIS FATHER LIVED.
