caption serviceyears branch death_place death_date birth_place unit awards battles birth_date placeofburial rank image article_title name
william henry short as depicted on a cigarette card 1914-1916 23px british army contalmaison , france 6 august 1916 -lrb- aged 31 -rrb- eston , north riding of yorkshire , england green howards victoria cross world war i 4 february 1885 contalmaison chateau cemetery private vcwilliamhenryshort.jpg william henry short
 william henry short
william henry short

william henry short vc -lrb- 4 february 1884 -- 6 august 1916 -rrb- was an english recipient of the victoria cross , the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to british and commonwealth forces .
short was from eston , middlesbrough .
before the war he was a steelworker , working as a craneman in a steelworks at eston .
he was also a popular local footballer , playing for the grangetown albion , saltburn , and lazenby united .
he was 31 years old , and a private in the 8th battalion , yorkshire regiment -lrb- alexandra , princess of wales 's own -rrb- , -lrb- green howards -rrb- british army during the first world war .
on 6 august 1916 at munster alley , contalmaison , france , during the battle of the somme , for which he was awarded the vc .
short was interred at contalmaison chateau cemetery , france .
his victoria cross is displayed at the green howards museum , richmond , north yorkshire , england .
his steel helmet is part of the collection of the imperial war museum .
