Hull war hero brought back to life in restored 100-year-old film

• Report by Jonathan Brown

One of Hull's biggest heroes has been brought back to life after a 100 year-old family film was restored in time for this year's Remembrance Day.

Private Jack Cunningham was the city's first man to be awarded the Victoria Cross - the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry - in 1916.

Jack's nephew John has been savouring the fragile film reel for decades - a memento of his uncle, who died aged just 43, from injuries he suffered at war years earlier.

"The First World War was just like a killing machine. He was very very brave, very courageous, I am very proud of him."

After war broke out in 1914, Jack enlisted with third Hull Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment as a 17-year-old.

Two years later, he served in the Battle of the Somme - in which more than a million men were wounded or killed.

On November the 13th 1916, he cleared a German communications trench single handedly - killing ten enemy soldiers in the process - after losing all of his own colleagues.

It was that which saw him awarded Britain's highest military honour, the Victoria Cross, by King George the Fifth - a moment captured on film that's been stored in an unusual place ever since.

Descendants of Jack's were given a special screening of the footage at York Army Museum - within it, images of Jack's own parents and relatives, who were from the gypsy traveller community.

"It's important to share the contributions of everyone and in the first world war I think I'm right in saying over 300,000 gypsy, traveller communities volunteered - a huge contribution."

For Jack's family, the footage has shed new light on a man - whose medal they already celebrated - and now they hope this glimpse into the past can help to tell his story for future generations.