BORN HORSFORTH, HARROGATE, YORKSHIRE, 26/03/1898.
ONLY CHILD OF JOHN JAMES KIRK (1876-1901) & JANE HAWXWELL BURTON (1871- ), OF 9, FENCHURCH STREET, HULL (1911 CENSUS) AND 3, ELM TERRACE, BEVERLEY ROAD, HULL (WAR PENSION ADDRESS). HIS FATHER WAS A SOLDIER, SERVED AS PRIVATE, 23076, EAST YORKSHIRE YEOMANRY AND DIED AT KROONSTADT, SOUTH AFRICA, 19/09/1901, AGED 25. HIS MOTHER LATER MARRIED WILLIAM BURTON.
HE WORKED AS AN APPRENTICE, AT EARLES SHIPYARD, HULL, BEFORE JOING THE ARMY IN SEPTEMBER 1914.
ENLISTED IN HULL. SERVED AS LANCE CORPORAL, WITH THE 11TH NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS. SERVED IN FRANCE, FROM 25/08/1915. HE WAS MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES, FOR DEVOTION TO DUTY, AT THE SOMME, IN 1916. ALSO, AWARDED THE MILITARY MEDAL (MM), IN SEPTEMBER 1917, FOR GALLANTRY. HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION, WHILE ACTING AS A SCOUT, IN A RAIDING PARTY, ON 27/05/1918. AGED 20. HIS ARMY EFFECTS WERE LEFT TO HIS WIDOWED MOTHER, JANE BURTON.
HIS DEATH WAS REPORTED IN THE HULL DAILY MAIL, ON 18/06/1918. *
HE IS BURIED AT BARENTHAL MILITARY CEMETERY, ON THE ASIAGO PLATEAU, ITALY.
HIS GRAVE INSCRIPTION, READS, “AN ONLY CHILD LOVED BY ALL”
A REQUIEM WAS HELD FOR HAROLD KIRK, AT ST MARYS CHURCH, SCULCOATES LANE, ON 16/06/1918 & 15 ATTENDED.
HIS NAME IS INSCRIBED ON THE STONE PILLAR MEMORIAL IN THE CHURCH.
