About Us
Chums Café is a friendly, local café in Ulceby offering freshly made breakfasts, lunches, cakes and daily specials.
We provide dine-in, takeaway and free local delivery on orders over £25. Our café is a community hub, serving great food with great service.
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Why are we called Chums?
The name CHUMS is inspired by the Grimsby Chums — a unique British First World War “Pals” battalion made up of men from Grimsby and the surrounding area who enlisted together, trained together, and served side by side.
Formed in response to Lord Kitchener’s call for volunteers, the battalion began when the headmaster of Wintringham Grammar School decided to raise a company of around 250 former pupils. They were initially based at the school’s Officer Training Corps armoury. As interest grew beyond the school, recruitment expanded across Grimsby and neighbouring towns including Louth, Scunthorpe and Boston. To complete the battalion, a group of men was also sent from Wakefield in Yorkshire.
When the battalion was taken over by the British Army, it was officially named the 10th (Service) Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment — notably the only Pals battalion to be formally known as “The Chums”.
A and B Company of the Grimsby Chums, from the Saturday Telegraph (Grimsby), 10 October 1914.
In January 1916, the battalion moved to France as part of the 101st Brigade, 34th Division, alongside the Edinburgh City Pals. Their first major engagement came on 1st July 1916, the opening day of the Battle of the Somme.
On that morning, the Grimsby Chums were among the first wave attacking the fortified village of La Boisselle, just south of the Albert–Bapaume road. Two minutes before the attack began, a huge underground explosive — the Lochnagar Mine — was detonated beneath the German trenches. At 7:30am, the Chums advanced and occupied the resulting crater. Many were pinned there for the rest of the day, under relentless fire from both German and British artillery.
A small number managed to reach the German trenches. Among them was Second Lieutenant Harold P. Hedin, who led five men into the German reserve trench. Throughout the day, he gathered isolated soldiers and successfully held off several counter-attacks before being forced to withdraw.
The cost was devastating. On that single day, the Grimsby Chums suffered 502 casualties — including 15 officers and 487 other ranks. Only two officers returned unwounded, and just 100 men remained fit for duty.
The battalion later transferred to the 103rd Brigade, 34th Division in February 1918 and was eventually disbanded on 3rd June 1919.
A memorial now stands at St James’ Church in Grimsby, commemorating the 810 members of the 10th (Service) Battalion who were killed in action or died in service.
