BORN LEICESTER, 04/12/1884. SON OF REV JEREMIAH ALEXANDER DONOVAN (1849-1926), THE VICAR OF GARTON IN HOLDERNESS. HIS MOTHER WAS ESTHER BELL O’CALLAGHAN (1857-1942), DAUGHTER OF REVEREND, JOHN O’CALLAGHAN, RECTOR OF ROSS, COUNTY GALWAY. ONE OF SEVEN CHILDREN. EDUCATED PRIVATELY AT ENGLEFIELD GREEN AND HM SCHOOLSHIP CONWAY. WORKED FOR THE ASIATIC STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY, IN WHOSE SERVICE HE GAINED HIS CAPTAINCY. SUBSEQUENTLY JOINED THE WILSONS HULL SHIPPING LINE AND THEN THE CIVIL SERVICE. HE MARRIED, BERTHA KIRK, ON 12/09/1912 IN GARTON. HIS WIFE BERTHA LIVED IN NAFFERTON. ENLISTED IN THE ROYAL NAVY DIVISION’S, ‘HAWK’ BATTALION, ON 11/01/1915. WOUNDED AT GALLIPOLI. HE WAS INVALIDED HOME AND WORKED FOR THE MUNITIONS MINISTRY. OBTAINED A COMMISSION, IN THE ROYAL NAVY VOLUNTARY RESERVE, ON 12/02/1917 AND WAS POSTED TO FRANCE. HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION, ON 26/04/1917, AGED 32. SERVING WITH THE NAVAL SIEGE GUNS ON THE BELGIAN COAST. BURIED AT COXYDE MILITARY CEMETERY. HIS GRAVE INSCRIPTION, READS, “AND ALL OUR SOULS MORE LOFTILY ATTUNED BY OUR SWEET MEMORY OF YOU”
HIS COMMANDING OFFICER, WROTE, “HE WAS THE CLEANEST AND GAMEST MAN I EVER KNEW. THE FRENCH HAVE CONFERRED THE HIGHEST HONOUR POSSIBLE……FOR HIS WONDERFUL WORK.” HE IS LISTED IN THE DE RUVIGNY ROLL OF HONOUR, VOLUME 4.
Notes
- ‘Burstwick Shrine’, Hull Daily Mail, 5 December 1916
- Yorkshire Heroes, Vol I: A Journey from Hull to Withernsea, Around Hornsea and Back to Hull Again, Malcolm Mann, 1996. pp. 397-398
- ‘Burstwick Shrine Unveiled’, Hull Daily Mail, 8 December 1917
- Burstwick Primitive Methodist Shrine, dedicated December 1917. Attended by: Local Clergy/Dignitaries. Records 74 men serving in WW1.
- Burstwick WW1 Memorial, unveiled 10/07/1920. Attended by: Colonel R Hall; Local Clergy/Dignitaries; Ex-Servicemen. Records 17 died and 58 men returned.
