BORN HULL, 1886. REAL NAME WAS ‘JULIUS EPSTEIN’. ELDEST SON OF LEAH HILLELSON (1861-1915) & BARNETT EPSTEIN (1860-1922). HE WAS THE ELDEST OF EIGHT CHILDREN. SON OF A CABINET MAKER, FROM ‘RUSSIA’. THE FAMILY WAS JEWISH AND MOVED FROM HULL, TO LEEDS AND THEN TO MANCHESTER. HE WORKED AS A TAILOR.
HE ENLISTED IN THE ARMY, IN WARRINGTON, ON 30/07/1906, AGED 18. SERVED IN THE 6TH MANCHESTER REGIMENT. HIS ARMY RECORDS DESCRIBE HIM AS 5 FOOT, 10 INCHES TALL, 115 LBS WEIGHT, 34 INCH CHEST, HAZEL EYES, AUBURN HAIR, SCARS ON HIS BACK, ABDOMEN AND SHIN, HORSE HEAD AND HORSE SHOE TATTOOS, ON HIS ARMS. HE WAS COURT MARTIALED AND DISCHARGED WITH IGNOMINY, ON 12/09/1907, FOR BEING ABSENT, STEALING FROM A COMRADE, DESERTION, AND LOSS OF EQUIPMENT.
HE THEN ENLISTED AS PRIVATE, G. GOLDMAN, 9059, IN THE 4TH CHESHIRE REGIMENT, ON 04/08/1908. HIS PREVIOUS RECORD WAS DISCOVERED AND HE WAS DISCHARGED WITH DISGRACE.
HE RE-ENLISTED AGAIN, AS PRIVATE, FRANK MILLAR, IN THE LANCASTER REGIMENT, ON 01/03/1909, BUT WAS DISCHARGED ON 12/03/1909 FOR GIVING A FALSE ANSWER. SENTENCED ON 08/03/1909, TO 6 WEEKS HARD LABOUR AT PRESTON PRISON. DISAPPEARS FROM TRACE.
HE RE-ENLISTED IN MANCHESTER AT THE OUTBREAK OF WAR. JOINED THE 1ST KINGS OWN ROYAL LANCASTER REGIMENT. POSTED TO FRANCE, ON 26/01/1915. HE WAS KILLED AT YPRES, ON 07/06/1915, AGED 30. HE IS COMMEMORATED ON THE MENIN GATE MEMORIAL TO THE MISSING. HIS ARMY EFFECTS WERE LEFT TO HIS BROTHER, DAVID AND FATHER, BARNETT EPSTEIN. WHEN HIS FATHER DIED ON 15/02/1922, HIS WAR PENSION WAS LEFT TO HIS SISTER, NETTIE EPSTEIN, AT 130 WATERLOO ROAD, CHEETHAM, MANCHESTER.
