Pte 24724 Thomas George Hull

• Age: 28
• From: Everton, Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

24724 Private Thomas George HULL, 18^th Battalion KLR.

Thomas George Hull was born at 4 Roden Street, Everton, Liverpool on 01st April 1882, he was the son of Benjamin Hull and his wife Elizabeth (nee Barkley)  who were married on the 13th February 1870 at Our Lady and St. Nicholas and St. Anne's Church, Liverpool. He was baptised on 29th November 1882.

The 1891 Census shows the family living at Creswick Street, Everton. His father is a French Polisher born in Liverpool in 1850, his mother was also born in Liverpool in 1852. Thomas is shown incorrectly as 10 years of age and has 6 siblings; Sarah E. b.1871, Mary J. b.1873, Elizabeth b.1874, Benjamin b.1879, Joseph b.1886 and Hannah b.1888.

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at 21 Creswick Street, Everton. Both parents are present in the household, father Benjamin is aged 51, a french polisher, mother Elizabeth is aged 50. Thomas is shown as a 19 year old book binder. His siblings living at home are; Sarah E. a 30 year old general servant, Benjamin 22 a french polisher, Joseph 16 a brass finisher, Hannah 14, William 9 b.1892 and Richard 5 b.1896.  

On 6^th August 1905 at St Benedict’s Church, Everton, Thomas George Hull, a 23 year old plate layer, married 22 year old Janet Louisa Haworth, of 32 Landseer Road, Everton. 

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 91 Abbot Street, Everton. Thomas is 29 years of age and is employed as a paviors labourer in the Engineer's Department. His wife is 31 years of age. They have 2 sons; Herbert W.C. aged 4 and Thomas George aged 1 month.   

Thomas George enlisted in Liverpool on 12th January 1915 joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 24724.

He was billeted at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 18th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. He sailed to France on 7^th November 1915 aboard the S.S. Invicta.

Thomas was killed in action on 1^st July 1916 during the attack at Montauban. He was 28 years of age.

18^th Battalion Diary

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks.

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun.  

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter  wrote in the conclusion of his account of the days action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft:

“Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.    

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18^th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257.

He has no known grave but is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916.

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

His death was reported in the Liverpool Evening Express of 10th August 1916:

Private T.  G. Hull, of the Pals, second son of Mr. B. Hull, 10 Queen's-road, Everton. Private Hull, who was killed on July 1st, leaves a widow and three children.  

His father died, aged 69, on 01^st September 1918.

Joseph, younger brother of Thomas, enlisted on 2^nd March 1916, was placed on reserve until being called up on 27^th October 1916. It does not appear that he served abroad and he survived the war, possibly in the Royal Defence Corps. 

We currently have no further information on Thomas George Hull, if you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.