Name
Jack Hull
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
05/04/1917
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
31456
Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)
209th Company.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
NESLE COMMUNAL CEMETERY
C. 39.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, Holy Saviour Church War Memorial, Radcliffe Rd., Hitchin, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin
Pre War
Jack was born on 1895 in Hitchin and christened 16 June 1895 in Holy Savior Church, Hitchin. His parents were John William and Clara Hull (née Taylor). Foreman
In 1901 the family were living at 13 Dacre Road, Hitchin. Present were both parents: John (41) and Clara (39), with John working as a coal carter. Their children were: Rose (14), Elsie (8), Jack (6), Joe (2) and Bessie E at 11 months.
In 1911 the family were still at 13 Dacre Road, Hitchin and John still a coal carter. The census recorded they had been married for 13 years with 9 children, of whom 4 had died. Of the children listed above Elsie is absent. Jack was now 16 and an apprentice carpenter. There was a new daughter, Dorothy Evelyn (9).
While researching Jack, we have found other children not listed in the above censuses: George Thomas (b 1881, d 1958), Clara Elizabeth (bapt 1885), Edith Mary (b 1897), Sarah (bc 1889, d 1891), Ida Gladys (b 1905).
He enlisted into the 1st Bn. Bedfordshire Regiment as Private 10330, in August 1913 and before joining the army he worked for Messrs P.H. Barker & Son, timber merchants and joiners of Hermitage Road, Hitchin
Officially Jack was recorded as born and living in Hitchin, Herts., when he enlisted in Hertford. He was already a regular soldier when war was declared.
Wartime Service
When war was declared the 1st Bedfords were stationed in Mullingar in Ireland. As a regular soldier Jack landed into France on 16 August 1914. He how's an entry has an entry in the national role of the Great War which records that he fought in the Retreat from Mons and the battle of the Marne, Ypres and Festubert and was wounded on the Somme in 1916. These entries were usually placed by the family or friends and often and often contain errors, however in Jack’s case this may be correct.
At some point he was transferred to the Royal Irish Fusiliers as Private 22378. During this time he was either in the 5th or 6th Battalion of the Royal Irish Fusiliers which was part of the 31st Brigade of the 10th (Irish) Division.
This Division was sent to Gallipoli arriving at Suvla Bay on the 7th August 1915 and was then sent to Salonika, landing there on the 24th October 1915. Whilst at Salonika Jack developed frostbitten feet and was returned to England at Christmas 1915. When he recovered, he was posted as Number 31456 in the 209th Company of the Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) and returned to France in the first half of 1916.
He was seriously wounded in the arm during the Somme battles of July 1916. He returned to France in March 1917 and a newspaper report, which is based on information supplied by a Company officer, states that he died as a result of wounds received on the 3rd April 1917. The Company were about to take new positions when a shell fell close by and a piece of shrapnel severely wounded Jack in his back.
It is almost certain that when he was mortally wounded, he was about forty miles south of Arras, in the southern-most part of the British sector of the Somme where it joined the French Army sector in the vicinity of St. Quentin and Peronne. The British bad advanced from Chaulnes which they had entered on the 19th March 1917 in order to follow up the Germans as they retreated to their prepared positions called the Hindenburg Defence Line. As they retreated, the German Army adopted a ‘scorched earth’ policy and destroyed everything whether or not it bad any military value. By the 2nd April, the British were trying to surround St. Quentin. They were unsuccessful and sustained a substantial number of casualties during the ensuing weeks.
He died at the 107th Field Ambulance.
News of his death was also sent in letters from his Sergeant and Lieutenant. The latter stated, “that deceased, and his company we're about to take a new position when a shell fell close to them. ‘a portion of which hit your son’, and he was severely wound in the back.”
Additional Information
After his death £7 3s 7d was authorised to go to his mother Clara on 15 March 1918. Later, a war gratuity of £15 10s was authorised to be paid to her, on 17 November 1919.
His pension cards record Clara, his mother, as his dependant, living at 39 Kings Road, Hitchin. She was awarded a pension of 6s 6d a week from 13 May 1919.
Two other brothers, one being Joe, were serving in the forces, the youngest of whom was wounded in France and convalesced in Shoreham. He also had a sister who married a baker from Pirton called Walker.
Care needs to be exercised with the records for J Hull as Jack’s brother Joe, of the same address, served in the 1st Gordon Highlanders.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
