Dmr William Hull

William Hull was born to John and Jane Hull in Brentwood in about 1874. His father was a railway labourer and had moved to the town after getting married. William himself would later join the army, first joining the militia in the 3rd Btn Essex Regiment, before joining the regular army aged exactly 18 in January 1893. He then served for about 9 years in the 1st Btn West Riding Regiment serving as a Private and a Drummer at different times. He was in Malta from 1895 to 1898, and then served in the Boer War - being in South Africa from 29th December 1899 to 30th August 1902, although no exact details of his service there are available.

After leaving the army he returned to Brentwood and was living at Crescent Road with his wife Annie and their two sons, Walter and Leonard. At this time he was working as an an Engine Driver for the council. At the outbreak of the first world war he joined the Royal Engineers, volunteering at Warley on 14th September 1914 and becoming a sapper.

During the first world war he served in C, L, G and finally M Company of the Royal Engineers. He was in France from 21st September 1915 to 3rd November 1916, at which point he was moved to the 11th Labour Battalion and made an acting Corporal. He was based at De Klijte in Flanders, and as part of a labour battalion would have been maintaining roads and bridges, as well as laying communication trenches and other engineering work.

He returned to England in November 1916 and continued in the labour battalion, working on projects in England, and was discharged after the war. In 1920 he was prosecuted along with his brother, Ernest, for poaching three rabbits in Shenfield.He died in 1921 and is buried in Lorne Road Cemetery.