Reconnaissance Corps
Born: 1922
Story
Ernest was the son of Walter Birch (1895-1967) and Florence Ellis (1897-1977), who married in Kippax on 15th February 1919. The family lived at 34 Sandgate Terrace before the War, and Ernest worked for Philip Wheatley, builder and contractor, and then joined the Reconnaissance Corps, which was charged with gathering vital tactical information in battle for infantry divisions, probing ahead and screening the flanks of main advances.
On 24th November 1944, it was reported that Ernest had been officially reported missing in North West Europe, and he was believed to be a Prisoner of War. Ernest’s commanding officer had written a letter to Ernest’s parents stating that in October Ernest had been leading a patrol into enemy lines at dawn, but they were attacked and out-numbered by the enemy.
It was not until 5th April 1945, that Ernest’s release was reported. After being freed by American troops, he had flown back from Germany to England, and arrived at Sandgate Terrace. Ernest had been expecting the advancing Russian troops would free them from their German captors, but to prevent this, the Germans marched the prisoners 400 miles to escape the Russians. They were freed on Easter Sunday, when the German camp was surrounded by American forces, who sent a tank crashing through the gate. Ernest announced that he was exceedingly grateful for the Red Cross parcels he had received, as “they kept us alive.” The Germans had provided such poor quality food that when Ernest weighed himself within a few hours of arriving back, he noted that after six months of imprisonment, he had lost 2½ stone in weight; and this was despite him saying “We had a real good feed when we landed at the aerodrome on this side.”
After the War, Ernest married Dorothy Sanderson in 1945, and they lived on Valley Road. Ernest worked for Garforth Council, and his daughter Lynn Holstead, and granddaughter Gail Haigh still live in Kippax. Ernest passed away in 2011, just before his ninetieth birthday.
Kippax Roll of Honour 