BORN HULL 18/12/1883. SON OF GEORGE & MELINDA ANN WARD, OF 605, SPRING BANK, HULL.
BEFORE THE WAR HE WORKED AS A COOK ON THE TRAWLER ‘SCOT’. DURING THE WAR HE SERVED IN THE ROAYLA NAVAL RESERVE
THE ‘KING EMPEROR’ WAS INVOLVED WITH MINE SWEEPING WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH THE SWEDISH STEAMER ‘KATAGAR’. OF THE CREW OF SIXTEEN, ONLY SIX WERE SAVED. GEORGE WARD’S BODY WAS RECOVERED AND RETURNED TO HULL.
HE LEFT WIDOW MARTHA ANN WARD & TWO CHILDREN AT 169, SOMERSET STREET, HULL (CWGC ADDRESS).
HE IS COMMEMORATED ON ST JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH MEMORIAL, NEWINGTON, HULL.
HE IS LISTED IN HULL’S NAVAL RECORDS. HIS DEATH WAS REPORTED IN THE HULL DAILY MAIL WITH HIS PHOTOGRAPH ON 7TH FEBRUARY 1916. *
HIS TWO BROTHERS ALSO SERVED, ONE IN MINE SWEEPERS, THE OTHER IN THE RFA.
On February 4th, 1916, the British steamer HMT KING EMPEROR, built in 1914 and operated by British Royal Navy, was lost after a collision. 8 people lost their lives.
1. COOK, THOMAS ARTHUR , Skipper, HMT King Emperor, Royal Naval Reserve, 04/02/1916, Chatham Naval Memorial
2. DICKINSON, GEORGE , Engineman (no. 2550ES), Royal Naval Reserve, 04/02/1916, Memorial: Chatham Naval Memorial
3. GILLARD, JAMES , Second Hand (no. 1610/SA), HMT King Emperor, Royal Naval Reserve, 04/02/1916, Father of A. S. Doy, of 70, Brighton St., Hessle Rd., Hull, Memorial: Hull Western Cemetery
4. GREEN, ARTHUR FREDERICK (44), Engineman (no. 2811ES), HMT King Emperor, Royal Naval Reserve, Son of James Arthur and Francis Green, of Hull; husband of Alice Green, of 9, Alexander Terrace. Bean St., Hull, Chatham Naval Memorial
5. NEWBIGGING (19), Signaller (no. Clyde Z/3722), HMT King Emperor, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, 04/02/1916, Son of William Newbigging, of 21, Drive Rd., Linthouse, Govan, Glasgow, Memorial: Glasgow (Craigton) Cemetery
6. STAHL , Lieut-Commander, HMT King Emperor, Royal Navy, 04/02/1916, Memorial: Farnham Civil Cemetery
7. TAYLOR, FREDERICK JAMES (23), Trimmer (no. 3034TS), HMT King Emperor, Royal Naval Reserve, 04/02/1916, Son of William Henry and Jessie Taylor, of Hull; husband of Minnie Taylor, of 111, Havelock St., Hessle Rd., Hull, Chatham Naval Memorial
8. WARD, GEORGE ERNEST (32), Deck Hand (no. 5869/DA), Son of George and Melinda Ann Ward, of Hull; husband of Martha Ann Ward, of 169, Somerset St., Hessle Rd., Hull. Alternative Commemoration – buried in Hull (Holy Trinity, Hessle Road) Cemetery, Memorial: Hull Northern Cemetery
