William Henry Short V.C. was born in Eston, Middlesbrough on the 4th February 1885. Will was a popular footballer in the local leagues playing for Grangetown Albion, Saltburn and Lazenby United. He worked with his father at Bolkow, Vaughan & Co as a craneman from 16 years old until he enlisted in the 8th Battallion of the Yorkshire Regiment at South Bank for the Great War. He trained as part of the 23rd Division at Frensham with out of service weapons and very little uniform before embarking at Folkestone for Bologne on the 26th August 1915. The 23rd Division fought at Loos over the winter and spring before moving down to Albert. The 23rd Division were due to be reinforcements on the first day of the Somme but for the catastrophe that was the 1st July 1916. Will was then involved in the darkest day of the 8th Battallion of the Yorkshire Regt when it was decimated on the 10th July 1916 at Contalmaison on the Somme. Will's next involvement was his final one and his citation published in The London Gazette on the 9th September 1916 reads For most conspicuous bravery at Munster Alley on 6th August, 1916. He was urged to go back, but refused and continued to throw bombs. Later his leg was shattered by a shell, and he was unable to stand, so he lay in the trench adjusting detonators and straightening the pins of bombs for his comrades. He died before he could be carried out of the trench. For the last eleven months he had always volunteered for dangerous enterprises, and has always set a magnificent example of bravery and devotion to duty.