BORN ST STEPHENS, CORNWALL, 1877. ONLY CHILD OF HENRY ELIAS HURVED (1854-1941) AND SARAH FRENCH (1857-1903), OF 14 CYPRUS WALK, ALEXANDRA STREET, HULL. HIS AUNTIE, JANE HALL, LIVED AT 51 REGENT STREET, HULL.
EMPLOYED AS A COPPERSMITH, FOR CLARKS & SONS, WATERHOUSE LANE, HULL. HE ENLISTED IN THE 4TH EAST YORKSHIRE TERRITORIALS ON 26/02/1900 AGED 22. DESCRIBED AS 5 FOOT, 7 INCHES TALL, 34 INCH CHEST. PROMOTED TO SERGEANT, ON 01/01/1909.
MARRIED MARY ELLEN ROWMAYNE (1879-1914) AT HULL, ON 22/11/1889. THEY LIVED AT 14 CLARA’S TERRACE, WEST PARADE, HULL. HIS WIFE DIED IN 1914, AGED 35, LEAVING HIM WITH SIX CHILDREN (3 SONS & 3 DAUGHTERS)
HE ENLISTED IN HULL. POSTED TO FRANCE AS SERGEANT, WITH THE 1/4TH EAST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT. REPORTED WOUNDED AND KILLED ON 25/04/1915, AGED 37. COMMEMORATED ON THE YPRES MEMORIAL TO THE MISSING, BELGIUM. HIS PENSION WAS LEFT TO HIS AUNTY, JANE HALL, GUARDIAN OF HIS SIX CHILDREN AT 51 REGENT STREET, HULL.
“Shortly after 5pm the 1/4th East Yorkshire battalion was ordered to attack towards St Julien and advanced in ‘artillery formation’, with two platoons of D Company in front, led by Lt-Col Shaw. On reaching Bridge House the battalion swung north towards St Julien; it now came under heavy rifle and machine gun fire and was swept by Shrapnel shells and heavy howitzer shells. Eye-witnesses described the tired and hungry battalion behaving ‘as if they were doing an attack practice in peace’. At 950 yards (870 m) and again at 500 yards (460 m) the men opened rifle fire on the enemy, with little apparent effect. Coming upon a road the battalion could advance no further against the hostile fire, and took cover. Lieutenant-Colonel Shaw had been killed by a rifle bullet during the advance, and the CO of the Green Howards took over both battalions. The East Yorkshires were ordered to stay where they were until nightfall; they saw no sign of the Canadians who were supposed to be in St Julien, but their rifle fire combined with the Canadian artillery broke up a German attack from the village, and neither side held it at the end of the day. 1/4th East Yorkshires was permitted to withdraw after dark; in its first action the battalion had lost three officers and 12 other ranks killed, 66 wounded and 17 missing, of whom 10 were known to be wounded.”
