BORN HULL 1881. SON OF GEORGE THOMAS DOUGLAS (1851-1909) & MARY ANN DOUGLAS, OF 147 CUMBERLAND STREET, HULL. HUSBAND OF ELIZABETH OF 140 , CUMBERLAND STREET, HULL (1901 ADDRESS). EMPLOYED AS A GAS COKE WEIGHER, FOR THE BRITISH GAS LIGHT COMPANY, HULL. HE WAS ALSO A LAY PREACHER, WITH FOUR DAUGHTERS. WHEN ALL HIS SONS DIED IN INFANCY HE STOPPED PREACHING AND ADOPTED A LOCAL ORPHAN, CALLED ERNIE WILSON. HE ENLISTED WITH ERNIE, TO ENSURE THAT HE RETURNED SAFELY. THEY LANDED TOGETHER IN FRANCE IN 1915. SERVED WITH THE 7TH EAST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT. HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION, ON 18/09/1918, AGED 36. BURIED IN FRANCE. HE LEFT A WIDOW AND FOUR CHILDREN. ERNIE SURVIVED THE WAR.
HE IS COMMEMORATED ON THE BRITISH GAS LIGHT AND COKE COMPANY WAR MEMORIAL, KEPT AT THE FAKENHAM GAS WORKS MUSEUM, NORFOLK.
B Fairclough writes 09/06/2015 – “Richard Douglas was my Great Grandfather. He enlisted with a Ernie Wilson an orphan he took in off the street after both his parents died. Ernie had to go to war, so grandad went with him to look after him, but never came back. Ernie returned OK”
