104 year old World War 1 film footage makes its way to York
An old tin containing a reel of a WW1 East Yorkshire Regiment Victoria Cross winner has found its way to the Yorkshire Regiment Museum on Tower Street.
An old tin containing a reel of 104 year-old film footage of a WW1 East Yorkshire Regiment Victoria Cross winner has found its way to the Yorkshire Regiment Museum on Tower Street in York.
The footage is from 1917 when Pte John Cunningham of the 12th (Service) Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment was presented with his Victoria Cross by King George V. The film has been loaned to the regiment by his nephew Mr John Moore of York to be restored and digitized.
Yorkshire Regiment Assistant Regimental Secretary, Wg Cdr Alan Bartlett RAF (retd), said: "As a regiment we are privileged to hold the Cunningham VC in our collection. We’ve managed to stay in contact with Mr Moore since the WW1 centenary, when we joined the family in a commemorative VC paving stone unveiling on 13 November 2016 to commemorate John Cunningham at the base of the war memorial, outside North Lincolnshire Museum on Oswald Road, Scunthorpe.
"We will now have the film reel footage restored and preserved for the future in a digital form. Just as soon as we have it, we will share with the the family, the public and we hope to display it in the York Army Museum".
Mr John Moore, proud nephew of Cunningham VC said: "What many may not know, is that as a VC winner, Uncle John was introduced to all three British Kings! First, King George V when he was presented with his medal, then in the early 1930s at a function for VC winners hosted by King Edward VIII, and again when King George VI visited Hull in August 1941 to witness the damage caused by the Blitz.
"John died in 1943, we think from an infection from wounds sustained in the war".
On 13th November 1916, when Private John Cunningham of 12th (Service) Hull ‘Pals’ was just 19 years old, he was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry at the Battle of the Somme. He was born on 28 June 1897 in Swains Yard, off Manley Street, Scunthorpe.
The family later moved to Hull where John attended school before enlisting in the 3rd Hull Battalion when he was only 17 years old. The family were of Romani gypsy heritage and John was one of thousands of gypsies and travellers who joined the Army at the start of the First World War. He served with the East Yorkshire Regiment, guarding the Suez Canal in Egypt, before the regiment moved to France and the Western Front.
The citation reads: "On 13 November 1916, the opening day of the Battle of the Ancre (the final offensive of the Battle of the Somme), attacking from opposite Hebuterne, the 31st Division was to seize the German trenches and form a defensive flank north of Serre. After the enemy's front line had been captured, Private Cunningham went with a bombing section up a communication trench where much opposition was met and all the rest of the section were either killed or wounded.
"Collecting all the bombs from the casualties, Private Cunningham went on alone and when he had used up all the bombs he had he returned for a fresh supply and again went up the communication trench where he met a party of 10 Germans. He killed all 10 and cleared the trench up to the new line. His conduct throughout the day was magnificent".