| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Herbert Edwin was born in 1894 in Beverley, the son of wheelwright, William Wilson of Keldgate and Ann Eleanor (nee Pinder). Ann died in 1900 five days after Herbert started at Minster Boys’ School. By 1911 Herbert Edwin is living with one of his older brothers, Richard James and his wife in Rustenburgh Street, Hull. Herbert, aged 17 was employed as a warehouseman.
Herbert enrolled in the East Yorkshire Regiment, 6th Battalion, and went to the Balkans in Sep 1915. In the Beverley Guardian dated 4 Mar 1916 it was reported that Herbert was “in hospital in Malta suffering from frostbite”. On returning to duty, he was transferred to the West Yorkshire Regiment and went on to see action in France, where he was wounded for a second time. While recovering in England from the second injury, Herbert visited the Whitley Bay Pleasure Fair, known as Spanish City, where, on 24 Jun 1918, he was fatally injured while riding a switchback slide.
It was reported that “when he reached the bottom of the slide he was unconscious. Upon examination it was found that during his ride down the slip a long splinter of wood had become detached and had entered his back, penetrating the body”. The verdict at the inquest was that the cause of death was shock and internal haemorrhage. He was 23 years old.
Herbert was buried, with full military honours, in Beverley. Probate was granted to his brother, Thomas Wilfred Wilson, grocer of Keldgate, Beverley. Herbert’s address was given as 89 New Bridge Road, Hull, the home of his brother Richard James.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |