Military History

Ernest is listed as being killed in action on 15 Jul 1916 in the attack on Pozieres during the Battle of the Somme. The 11th Battalion war diary entry for that day is transcribed below.

Battle of the Somme - 1916 July 15 - 3am: OPERATION ORDERS arrived that the 112th Bde would attack Pozieres at 9.20am today. Conference of Commanding Officers at 6.30am. The dispositions were that the 8th E Lanc Regt were to clear that part of the village S of the Albert-Pozieres Road & the 6thy Bedd Regt the area N of that road. The 11 R. War. R. to take up tools and assist the two Battalions to consolidate the ground gained. The 10th L.N. Lancs Regt was to carry bombs & stores etc. The order of attack was each Battalion with 2 Coys in front line & 2 in Support, each Battalion to follow the other in the following order. 8th E. Lancs, 6th Beds, 11 R. War R under cover of an intense bombardment. The distance to the objective in view of the enemy was about 1100x [yards]. Pozieres was reported thinly held & with no wire to contend with.

The Bde advanced according to orders but was held up quite near to its objective by enemy M/G's which were in great force, also it was found that the wire on the front to be attacked was not cut. The Bde found itself immobilised in front of the village & with its units more or less intermingled. Capt Brocksopp and 2nd Lt French of A Coy, 2nd Lt Stalker of C Coy & 2nd Lt Bowen of B Coy were wounded very early in the action. A Coy was thus without officers and as A/CSM Freeman was with Capt Brockeroff in an unget-at-able position, Sergt Moon took command.

Battn HQ's were caught when issuing from the trenches by an artillery barrage & M/G fire & was obliged to take shelter in a shell hole where it established communication by telephone with Bde HQ's. Battn HQ's were subsequently moved to a trench iff the Contalmaison-Pozieres road whence touch with the Companies was maintained by runners & with Bde HQ's by telephone (the latter was cut by shell fire during the day about 6 times and repaired each time with very little delay).

Meanwhile the Coys on the left (B,C & D) had made or found the best cover available & remained in action but were unable to advance. A Coy had ensconced itself in shell holes.

5pm: The artillery again bombarded the Village & the infantry's 2nd assault was timed for 6pm. The signal for the 2nd assault a red rocket. The bombardment, tho' very intense failed to put out the hostile M/G's & the assault was met with such a fierce fire that it collapsed, though our infantry did not give way but held their ground with great tenacity.

An attempt by the enemy to advance against the flank of A Coy was caught by the Lewis Gun of that company & was easily crushed. Here L/Cpl Hitchman behaved with great coolness and bravery & was killed at his gun. Capt Millard of D Coy was wounded in the later assault. Under cover of night the Battn was relieved by the 10th L. N. Lancs Regt and returned to the support trenches occupied the previous night.

Out of 8 Coy Officers who went into the action 5 were lost and 270 OR's out of 580, a percentage of 48.

Battle of the Somme - 1916 July 16 - 3.15am: The Battn was relieved by the 11th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers & proceeded to billets in Albert.