2nd LIEUTENANT HUGH COLBORNE GRAHAM. 9th BATTALION YORKSHIRE REGIMENT (GREEN HOWARDS).


2nd LIEUTENANT HUGH COLBORNE GRAHAM. 9th BATTALION YORKSHIRE REGIMENT (GREEN HOWARDS). KILLED IN ACTION 1ST OCTOBER 1917 AGED 29

                                                 As a schoolboy at Winchester College


Hugh Graham was born in the Sculcoates area of Hull on the 7th August 1888 the second child of Christopher and Mary Graham. In about 1899 the family moved to Ilkley where they lived at Highmoor on Hangingstone Road.

Sent away to school at an early age Hugh was first educated at a small prep school in Scarborough called Bamcote and then, in 1902, he was sent to the famous public school, Winchester College, in Hampshire. However, he only stayed for a year at Winchester before moving back to Yorkshire as a boarder at Giggleswick School near Settle. His schooling finished in 1906 when he went on to Leeds University to take a degree in science, graduating in 1910.

At about this time Hugh's mother died and has father moved to Scarborough where he would eventually serve for six years as the town's mayor. At the outbreak of war in 1914 Hugh was living in Hull where he had started a business. Hoping to enlist he attempted to join one of the 'Pals' battalions being formed in the town, but was rejected because of poor eyesight. Instead he was accepted into the Royal Army Medical Corps as a private, arriving in France on 20th April 1915 and was attached to a battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers.

The Somme battles of 1916 had seriously depleted officer numbers and Hugh took the opportunity to apply for a commission. Despite his poor eyesight he was successful and in January 1917 he was Gazetted as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 9th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment.

In June 1917 after officer training Hugh arrived back in France and was posted to his battalion. On 1st October the battalion was in the Sanctuary Wood area near to the village of Hooge when at 4.30 in the morning it came under sustained German attack which inflicted many casualties including Hugh, who was killed.
2nd Lieutenant Hugh Graham was buried near to where he fell but the grave was lost during subsequent battles and today he is commemorated on the Tyne Cot memorial to the missing. He is also remembered on the war memorials at Winchester College and Giggleswick School as well as in Scarborough and here in Ilkley.




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