Adrian Farrell (1892 - 1916)

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Birth 1892 Hull 1.2 WW1 : 4/1 East Yorks Territorials 1.3 Battle of St Julien 24 Apr- 3 May 1915 1.4 Death 1916 London 2 Sources

Biography

Birth 1892 Hull

Adrian Farrell was born in 1892 in Hull. ^[1] He was the youngest of five sons of Thomas Farrell, a solicitor in Hull, and his wife Monica.

WW1 : 4/1 East Yorks Territorials

At the start of the First World War 2nd Lieu.t Adrian Farrell was already in the East Yorkshire Territorials: Like his eldest brother Bede Farrell, Adrian went to Newcastle on Tyne as part of the training cadre of 29 officers and temporarily served as adjutant to the Commanding Officer. More detail of this period can be found in the profile of his Commanding Officer Lieut-Colonel George Herbert Shaw.

Battle of St Julien 24 Apr- 3 May 1915

On 23-24th April 1915 the 4th E Yorks Territorials were precipitated into battle on their first day at the front supposedly in the second line near Ypres. The Germans launched the first Gas Attack of the war on a French/Algerian Regiment nearby in St Julien: The Algerians died horribly or ran away, or ran away and still died horribly. The East Yorkshires were now the first British Territorial Regiment in actual Battle. On that first day three senior three officers of 4/1 East Yorkshires were killed: The Commanding Officer and two of the four Company Commanders, one being Bede Farrell, Adrian's eldest brother. Lieutenant Farrell remained on duty but was wounded on the last day of the Battle of St Julien (3 May 1915) before the unit was withdrawn to safety in the General Reserve. These wounds eventually turned out to be fatal.

Death 1916 London

Adrian Farrell died in a hospital in central London 16 months after his wounding,due to the failure of the last of a series of operations hoping to restore him to health. ^[2] Adrian was buried in Hull General Cemetery and commemorated on the wall at Hull Northern Cemetery.

Sources

1. ↑ freebmd Births Jun 1892

   Farrell Adrian Sculcoates 9d 247

2. ↑ freebmd Deaths Sep 1916

   Farrell Adrian 24 St.Geo.H.Sq. 1a 456

• Bibliography

Cecil Slack and the Officers of the 1/4th Territorial Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment, Assembled from his letters and diaries by Lady Joan Slack. abridged for The East Yorkshire Historian (Journal) Vol 20, 2019