BORN HULL 29/11/1881. SON OF FRANK SOUTHERN & ANN ELIZABETH BARRITT. OF 18 WRIGHT STREET, HULL. SON OF A BUILDER AND CONTRACTOR. EDUCATED AT HULL GRAMMAR SCHOOL AND JOINED THE OFFICER TRAINING CADETS, IN DECEMBER 1915. EMPLOYED FOR MANY YEARS, BY MESSRS, PYMAN, BELL & CO, COAL AND TIMBER EXPORTERS, AS A CLERK. HE WAS SUPERINDENDENT, OF THE DE LA POLE DIVISON, OF ST JOHN’S AMBULANCE AND COMMANDANT OF THE DE LA POLE, VOLUNTARY AUXILLERY DEDATCHMENT (VAD). A MEMBER OF THE BOTANIC WARD, CONSERVATIVE ASSOCIATION AND SECRETARY OF THE JUNIOR UNIONIST ASSOCIATION. HE WAS ALSO A PAST WARDEN OF THE HOLDERNESS LODGE OF FREEMASONS.
JOINED THE OFFICER TRAINING CORPS, IN DECEMBER 1915. GAZETTED TO 2ND LIEUTENANT, 4TH EYR IN 1917. PROMOTED TO CAPTAIN WITHIN SIX WEEKS. HE SERVED IN FRANCE FROM MARCH 1917. PROMOTED TO FULL LIEUTENANT IN JULY 1917 AND TO CAPTAIN ON THE 31ST JULY 1917. HE WAS KILLED DURING A TRENCH RAID, AT BAILLEUL, ON 29/09/1918, AGED 36. BY A SHELL SPLINTER TO THE HEAD AND KILLED INSTANTLY. HE IS BURIED THERE.
HIS DEATH WAS REPORTED IN THE HULL DAILY MAIL, ON 08/10/1918. *
HIS COMMANDING OFFICER, WROTE, “I HAVE NO WORDS GOOD ENOUGH TO EXPRESS TO YOU MY APPRECIATION FOR HIS EXCELLENT WORK WITH THE BATTALION. HE WAS MOST THOROUGH AND CONSCIENTIOUS, AND A GREAT ORGANIZER, AND I DO NOT KNOW HOW I SHALL MANAGE WITHOUT HIM.”
HE WAS AWARDED THE MILITARY CROSS FOR BRAVERY IN THE FIELD (LONDON GAZETTE, 05/08/1981): “HE ORGANISED TWO COUNTER ATTACKS, AND BY HIS COOL LEADERSHIP, INFLICTED SEVERE CASUALTIES. SEVERAL TIMES HE OBTAINED VALUABLE INFORMATION, AND ON ONE OCCASION, WHEN ALL COMMUNICATION WAS CUT, HE PASSED THROUGH A HEAVY BARRAGE, IN AN ENDEAVOUR TO INFORM THE GUNS OF A GOOD TARGET OF MASSED INFANTRY.”
CAPTAIN SOUTHERN, WAS SUPERINTENDENT OF THE DE LA POLE DIVISION OF THE ST JOHNS AMBULANCE CORPS, AND COMMANDANT OF THE DE LA POLE VOLUNTARY AID DETACHMENT. HE WAS ALSO A PAST WARDEN OF THE HOLDERNESS LODGE OF FREEMASONS. UNMARRIED. AGED 36. BURIED AT BAILLEUL. HE WAS BROTHER TO HIS OLDER SISTER MAUD. HE LEFT £1,946, IN HIS WILL TO HIS MOTHER, ANN ELIZABETH SOUTHERN.
HIS NAME IS LISTED ON THE HULL GRAMMAR SCHOOL WAR MEMORIAL. HE IS ALSO RECORDED IN THE DE RUGVIGNY ROLL OF HONOUR, VOLUME 5.
