BORN HULL 1889. SON OF JOHN THOMAS SAWNEY (1864-1936), AND ADA BOOTH (1866-1936), OF 62, SPRING BANK, HULL. HE HAD TWO BROTHERS, HERBERT AND KENNETH SAWNEY.
EDUCATED AT HYMERS COLLEGE. HE MARRIED ON 26/06/1913. HIS WIFE AMY, LIVED AT 1, VICTORIA PARADE, HEDON ROAD (PROBATE & ARMY ADDRESS) & 65, MIDDLETON STREET, HULL (WAR PENSION ADDRESS). HE WAS DESCRIBED AS 5 FOOT, 6 INCHES TALL, 36-38 INCH CHEST, 138 LBS WEIGHT,
HE HAD WORKED IN HULL’S PUBLIC LIBRARY, FOR 16 YEARS AND WAS IN CHARGE OF THE HEDON LIBRARY, WHICH OPENED IN 1913. HE WAS DESCRIBED AS “EFFICIENT AT HIS WORK, OF A PARTICULARLY HAPPY DISPOSITION AND POPULAR WITH BOTH COLLEAGUES AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC”.
HE ENLISTED AT HULL, ON 09/12/1915. CALLED UP ON 04/05/1916. SERVED AS A CORPORAL, IN THE ROYAL GARRISON ARTILLERY. DIED OF PHEUMONIA, ON 16TH OCTOBER 1918, AGED 30, AT THE RECKITT’S HOSPITAL, HULL. HE IS BURIED AT HULL WESTERN CEMETERY. HE LEFT A £183 IN HIS WILL, TO HIS WIDOW IN HIS WILL.
HIS NAME IS LISTED ON THE HYMERS COLLEGE MEMORIAL. HIS DEATH WAS REPORTED IN THE HULL DAILY MAIL WITH HIS PHOTOGRAPH ON THE 22ND OCTOBER 1918. HIS NAME IS LISTED ON THE BRITISH LIBRARY, WW1 MEMORIAL, EUSTON ROAD, LONDON, WHICH BEARS THE NAMES OF 142 LIRARIANS KILLED IN WW1.
