Harman, Tom

BORN HULL 1885. SCULCOATES. MOTHER MRS MARY JANE HARMAN ABOVE. HULL PAL. NB: HARRY HARMAN, EYR – 9 MAYO TER, STANLEY ST. TMBER YARD WORKER.
Hull Pals Memorial Post. PRIVATE TOM HARMAN 11/262. Born in Hull for sure, but could have been any of three Tom Harman’s of military age when war broke out. I know he enlisted at Hull City Hall on Monday 7th September 1914, the first day of recruitment for the 11th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment, 2nd Hull Pals, nicknamed ‘The Tradesmen’. I also know his story is therefore the battalion’s. They served in Egypt, then on the Somme and at Oppy Wood and Arras, Vimy and eventually faced the full force of the German Spring Offensive at Armentieres. Tom was killed in action on 18th June 1918 in the trenches opposite La Becque as the Pals lay in wait for their turn to attack. The Spring Offensive had been stopped and now it was time for the Allies to strike back. This period was relatively quiet, and Tom could have fallen victim to a random shell or a well-positioned sniper. He is buried at Aval Wood Military Cemetery.