Early Life and Background

Walter Tull was born in Folkestone Kent in 1888 being the grandson of a slave with his father having arrived in the country from Barbados in 1876, although his mother died when he was just 7 years old and Tull & his brother Edward were sent to a Children’s Orphanage in Bethnal Green.

The reason why this decision was taken was because it was believed it would prevent the family from becoming destitute as Tull’s stepmother was struggling to cope with a large family as he had four other siblings & the two older boys were seen as liabilities that the family could not afford.

At the time Tull and his brother were sent to the orphanage there was always the option that he could return home although in the event the two boys stayed in the institution which was a relatively safe environment until their teenage years and were starting to think of life beyond the home.

Tull completed his education whilst in the orphanage before getting a job at a local printers which he was hoping would provide an opportunity for him to have some kind of career as a reporter on a newspaper & in his spare time he played football on a regular basis as this was a real passion for him.

Career as a Professional Footballer

Walter Tull showed himself to be a talented footballer and when he was 20 in 1908 he had a trial for local amateur team Clapton in the East End of London and was picked to play for them and after just one season he had made such an impression that he was spotted by talent scouts who were looking for new players and signed up by Tottenham Hotspur from the First Division (top flight of football in Britain at this time) For this he received a signing on fee of £10 and a wage of £4 a week.

At this time Tull was the only second black man to play professional football in Britain, and he soon settled in at Tottenham making a significant impression on the club who had just been promoted to the First Division, although he often had to deal with racial abuse from opposition fans at away fixtures.

After just seven games for Tottenham however Tull was dropped and during the following season he joined Northampton Town and played just three games but after this he did become a regular player for the team and began to generate interest in other clubs notably Glasgow Rangers who wanted to sign him.

World War I and Career in the Armed Forces

The move of Walter Tull to Rangers never took place because of the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 resulting in his decision to join the army as a member of the Football Battalion and within a relatively short period of time he was promoted to the rank of sergeant indicating his leadership potential.

Walter Tull was not posted to the Western Front until November 1915 and once here he found the situation in the trenches challenging and suffered from shellshock particularly after being involved at the Battle of the Somme which started in July and was sent home in order to recover from his condition. Within a relatively short period of time Tull returned to the Western Front, but he was sent home again suffering from trench fever although in spite of this he continued to impress his military superiors who recommended that he should be considered for further promotion as an officer.

Career as an Army Officer and Death in 1918

Walter Tull was sent to the officer training school at Gailes in Scotland and in spite of military regulations which stated that “any negro or person of colour” could not be an officer Tull received his first commission as a Lieutenant in May 1917 and in doing so became the first Black combat officer in the British Army.

Tull was sent to the Italian Front and led his soldiers at the Battle of Piave in January 1918 and was remarkably successful in his first raid as his battalion suffered no casualties in spite of the fact that they were under intense fire by the enemy with this being viewed as impressive by his superiors. Tull remained in Italy until 1918 when he was transferred to France so as to take part in the attempt to break the German lines on the Western Front and on 25^th March he was ordered to lead an attack on their position at Favreuil, but he was shot by German fire in the head in No Man’s Land and died instantly.

During his relatively short period in command Tull had become a popular officer with his men and following his death several of them attempted to rescue his body from No Man’s Land and bring it back to the British trenches but had to give up because of heavy enemy fire from German machine gun positions.

It is now known that Tull was recommended for the Military Cross because of his bravery in battle, although this was never received by his family with the Ministry of Defence claiming that there is no record of such a recommendation existing, although it is now believed that the issue of race played a part.

Mr Goodall, Head of History

Students in 7CPB have been studying King John and the Magna Carta and have created plaques to commemorate his reign. So many excellent pieces of work, so well done to everyone who submitted their designs.  Here are a selection of some of the best efforts.

Mr Martin, History Department

Lev Griffin, Year 7

Layla Evans, Year 7

Jibril Dahir, Year 7

Ayaka Machida, Year 7

WWI started on the 4^th of August 1914 after failed diplomatic efforts to halt unrest in the Balkans, Eastern Europe. The widely held belief was that the “war would be over by Christmas”. However, the nations’ leaders felt otherwise. Conscription (forcing people to join the army) was unacceptable, so Secretary for War Lord Kitchener needed to encourage people to volunteer to join the British Expeditionary Force. Lord Derby was the first to implement the idea of a “Pals” Battalion in Liverpool. Inside a week, there were enough volunteers to fill four battalions. The idea was that men would be more likely to join up if their pals also joined the war effort.

One of the most famous pals’ battalions was the Accrington Pals, near Manchester. 1000 men joined inside the first few days of September 1914. In 1916, the British Expeditionary Force led an attack by the River Somme. On the first day of the battle, July 1^st, over 50,000 men were killed or wounded; the largest single loss in British Army history. Of the Accrington Pals, 235 were killed and over 350 wounded in the first 20 minutes of action. There was not a street in Accrington that didn’t have a casualty. In Welling and Bexley, men joined the Royal West Kent Regiment, which saw action in India and Gallipoli, as well as in France.

Ordinary people joined the fight against the Germans and her allies, and this included sports stars too. Clapton Orient’s (later Leyton Orient) players and staff joined the army, inspiring thousands of their fans to do the same. This is the story of Hearts of Midlothian. The 1914/15 season had started well for Hearts with 8 consecutive victories. However, with the war continuing, Hearts’ players and staff decided they should join the war effort on 25^th November 1914. The players combined military and football training to go 20 games unbeaten and be top of the league by February. However, the double life began to take its toll on the players, often engaging on night marches the night before crucial fixtures. Most of the team were sent to France before the end of the season. This is the story of some of their players…

• Lance Corporal James Boyd
  I was a goalkeeper. I was killed on a 'quiet day' on 3rd of August 1916 at the Somme. I was 21 years old. 

• Sergeant John Allan 
  I played centre back. I was caught in deadly crossfire and was the last Hearts player to
  be killed on 22nd April 1917. I was 30 years old.

• Private Ernest Edgar Ellis
  I played in defence. I also fought at the Somme in 1916. I was killed in action aged 30.
   
• Private Patrick James 'Paddy' Crossan
  I played right back. I was twice wounded and gassed at least once. I returned to play
  football after the war.

• Sergeant Duncan Currie
  I played at full back. I fought at the Somme in 1916 and was shot in the shoulder.
  I died from my wounds, aged 23.

• Private Willie R. Wilson
  I played in midfield. I was wounded in the shoulder. I scored a hat-trick at Ibrox, the
  home of Rangers.

• Lieutenant A. B. Ness
  I played on the wing. Twice wounded in the shoulder. I continued to play after the war. 

• Private Henry Wattie
  I played in attacking midfield. At the Somme in 1916, I fell, and my body was never recovered.
  I was 23 years old.

• Private James Hodge Speedie
  I played left wing. I fought in Belgium on the 25th of September 1915 and was killed during
  the battle. My body was never found. I was 21.

• Corporal Tom Gracie
  I played as a striker. I fought at the Somme in July 1916 and was killed in action, aged 26.
  I am the only Hearts player who died during the war to have a known grave.   

• Corporal Alfie E. Briggs
  Severely wounded in the back at the Somme in 1916, and I left the army, never to play
  football again.

WWI affected everyone, from the rich to poor, famous to ordinary. Life was changed beyond recognition. Things we take for granted today, and even then, were removed from everyday life, some never to return. This was the Hearts team in 1914, a number of these never returned and never played again. Hearts finished 2^nd that year.

There are two war memorials to mark this period. The McCrae's Battalion Great War Memorial in Contalmaison and the Heart of Midlothian War Memorial in Haymarket, Edinburgh donated to the city by
the club in 1922. The latter is currently in storage due to the Edinburgh Trams work. A further memorial commemorating the 1914 Hearts team has been proposed by the club. An annual pilgrimage is held by football supporters to Contalmaison every year, whilst Hearts hold their memorial services at Haymarket or, whilst it is in storage, at Tynecastle Stadium.

Mr Martin, History Department