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Walter Tull - Posthumous Recognition

EDM number 1036 in 2012-13, proposed by Alan Meale on 06/02/2013.
Categorised under the topics of Cultural heritage, Military operations, Sports and Veterans.

That this House is aware of the life of Walter Tull born in Folkestone, Kent in 1888 to a Barbadian father and English mother but raised in an orphanage in Bethnal Green, East London, a talented footballer who signed to play for Tottenham Hotspur then later Northampton Town, one of the first black Britons to play for a professional club, who immediately at the first opportunity after the outbreak of the First World War signed up to the 17th (Service) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment, saw active service in the Somme in 1916, following which on his return to the UK was promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant in 1917, a role that enabled him that year to also lead his men on a series of successful night raids against enemy forces in the Italian Alps, action that led to him being mentioned in despatches for showing gallantry and coolness under fire which led to him being recommended, but unfortunately not awarded the Military Cross; salutes those campaigners who continue to argue for this to be done, not least to show the children of today how long and honourably black people have served in the UK's armed forces, with more than five million black and Asian troops having served on our behalf in two world wars, representing around a quarter of Britain's armed forces strength during those periods; notes that Tull ultimately died on the battlefields of Arras, his body along with those of 30,000 other British and Commonwealth soldiers laid to rest in an unmarked grave; and believes the memory of such a brave soul and other pathfinders like him would best serve us all if posthumous recognition of his contribution was made at the earliest opportunity.

This motion has been signed by a total of 18 MPs.

MPDateConstituencyPartyType
Alan Meale06/02/2013MansfieldLabourProposed
Ronnie Campbell06/02/2013Blyth ValleyLabourSeconded
David Crausby06/02/2013Bolton North EastLabourSeconded
Jim Dobbin06/02/2013Heywood and MiddletonLabourSeconded
Ian Lavery06/02/2013WansbeckLabourSeconded
Grahame Morris06/02/2013EasingtonLabourSeconded
Peter Bottomley06/02/2013Worthing WestConservativeSigned
Kelvin Hopkins07/02/2013Luton NorthLabourSigned
Jeremy Corbyn07/02/2013Islington NorthLabourSigned
Jim McGovern11/02/2013Dundee WestLabourSigned
Bob Russell12/02/2013ColchesterLiberal DemocratSigned
David Simpson12/02/2013Upper BannDUPSigned
John Leech12/02/2013Manchester, WithingtonLiberal DemocratSigned
Tracey Crouch12/02/2013Chatham and AylesfordConservativeSigned
Martin Caton13/02/2013GowerLabourSigned
Nigel Dodds13/02/2013Belfast NorthDUPSigned
Mike Hancock13/02/2013Portsmouth SouthLiberal DemocratSigned
Dan Rogerson25/02/2013North CornwallLiberal DemocratSigned

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