BORN HULL 1887. SON OF MATTHEW DRIVER (1858-1931) & THE LATE ADA LOUISE BODILLY (1860-1906), OF 3 DEVON GROVE, SCULCOATES LANE, HULL (CWGC ADDRESS). ONE OF SIX CHILDREN. THREE BROTHERS KILLED IN THE WAT ALL WORKED FOR HOLMES TANNERY.
HE MARRIED MARTHA ANN THOMPSON (1888-1929), AT HULL, ON 02/08/1912. A TANNER BY TRADE. HE ENLISTED LIKE HIS BROTHERS IN THE HULL PALS, ON 11/01/1915, AGED 26 YEARS AND 120 DAYS. DESCRIBED AS 5 FOOT, 4 INCHES TALL, 125 LBS WEIGHT, 36 INCH CHEST, WESLEYAN RELIGION.
HE ENLISTED IN HULL. SERVED WITH THE 13TH EAST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT IN EGYPT AND FRANCE. HE WAS REPORTED MISSING AND THEN KILLED IN ACTION, AT SERRE, ON 13/11/1916, AGED 29. HE HAD SERVED IN THE ARMY FOR 1 YEAR AND 308 DAYS. HE IS COMMEMORATED ON THE THIEPVAL MEMORIAL TO THE MISSING.
HE LEFT WIDOW, MARTHA ANN DRIVER & DAUGHTER ETHEL AT 10, FERN AVENUE, BOURNEMOUTH STREET (ARMY ADDRESS). SHE WAS AWARDED A WEEKLY WAR PENSIN OF 18 SHILLINGS AND NINE PENCE FOR HERSELF AND CHILD, FROM 09/07/1917. HIS DEATH WAS REPORTED IN THE HULL DAILY MAIL, ON 31/03/1917 AND ON 2ND APRIL 1917, WITH HIS PHOTOGRAPH. *.
HIS BROTHER, ROBERT DRIVER, 13TH EYR, WAS CAPTURED IN THE SAME ACTION AND DIED AS A PRISONER OF WAR ON 19/04/1917. HIS OTHER BROTHER, PTE, WILLIAM DRIVER, EYR, SERVED IN EGYPT, AND WAS WOUNDED ON 25/09/1917. ANOTHER BROTHER, PTE, FRED DRIVER, 6TH EYR, HAD BEEN AT GALLIPOLI AND FRANCE AND WAS KILLED AT YPRES, ON 19/04/1917, AGED 19. BEFORE THE WAR ALL THE DRIVER BROTHERS WORKED FOR MESSRS. HOLMES TANNERY, SCULCAOTES LANE.
MATT DRIVER WAS 29 YEARS OLD WHEN HE WAS KILLED. HIS NAME IS CARVED WITH HIS BROTHERS, ON THE STONE PILLARS OF ST MARY’S CHURCH, SCULCOATES LANE, HULL
