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 (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own), (Green Howards) 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.