大象传媒

An oval memorial outside the main entrance to The KC Stadium tells the story behind one of Hull鈥檚 true sporting heroes, Jack Harrison. A rugby player awarded with both the Military Cross and posthumously the Victoria Cross during WW1.

The early war years didn鈥檛 hamper the game and had minimal effect on Jack Harrison鈥檚 rugby career. He volunteered for service in November 1915 to the East Yorkshire Regiment and continued to play rugby for Hull FC until leaving for France the following year, playing his final match on Boxing Day 1916.

For the remainder of the war in the absence of most professional players the game still continued with matches supported by volunteer players in front of diminishing crowds.

By May 1917, Jack was a Temporary 2nd Lieutenant with the East Yorkshire Regiment when they attacked a German held area around the village of Oppy near Arras in France. It鈥檚 the act of self-sacrifice here that earned his Victoria Cross; he made a lone journey across no-man鈥檚 land to disarm a German machine gun, saving the lives of many soldiers in his company.

Location: The KC Stadium, The Circle, Anlaby Rd, Hull HU3 6HU
Image: Hull FC team (1913-1914) with Jack Harrison in the middle row on the far right-hand side. Photograph courtesy of Dr Robb Robinson
Presented by Gwilym Lloyd

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