Harry Lund was declared unfit to fight because of a childhood injury – but he still fell victim to enemy action in the last year of the First World War.
Harry died after his hospital ship was torpedoed by a German submarine in February 1918, while travelling to France to collect wounded soldiers.
Samuel “Harry” Lund was born in 1892 at Slippery Ford near Oakworth to a sheep farmer and his wife.
He grew up in Sutton, and at the age of 12 suffered a shoulder injury when he fell from his bike.
This injury meant he could not use a rifle, so following his call-up he trained as a dispensary clerk and joined the Medical Corps in 1917.
Harry, a house painter by trade, was on board HMS Glenart Castle as it passed near Lundy Island while travelling from Newport in South Wales to France.
Despite displaying regulation Red Cross lights to identify her against attack, the hospital ship was attacked by a U-boat UC-56, sinking in eight minutes with the loss of 168 lives. Harry was one of nine survivors picked up from a lifeboat by the American destroyer Parker and taken to Pembroke Dock Neville Hospital.
Eighteen hours after the sinking Harry died. The 25-year-old medic was buried at Pembroke Military Cemetery in Wales.
Harry is named as S Lund on the Sutton War Memorial, which was unknown to his family until recent years because he was recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as “Harry”.
As a result of detailed research by the Men of Worth Project and several members of the Great War Forum, Harry’s family was contacted. Family members attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the war memorial on Armistice Day in 2010, along with staff and children from Sutton CE Primary School.
One relative was Mona Townson, a member of Keighley and District Family History Society.
The Men of Worth wants to hear from anyone with information about family members in Keighley, or the Worth Valley who served in wartime during any period.
Contact project director Andy Wade at andy@menofworth.org.uk or call 07792 665336. The website is menofworth.org.uk.