Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment, 3rd Battalion, Service no. 10728.
Born: 1890. Died: 1938
Story
Ernest was the son of James Lawrence and Mary Ann Burns, and was baptised 21st December 1890 in Kippax. The family lived in Great Preston, but moved to Castleford. In 1911, they were living at 20 Widdops Street, Wheldon Lane, Castleford, and Ernest was a Pony Driver at the coal mine, but when Ernest enlisted into the West Riding Regiment on 13th August 1914, the family had moved to 2 Bank Terrace, Huddersfield, and Ernest was a coal miner at Brooks Colliery, Leeds Road, Huddersfield.
After training in England, Ernest was posted to the Mediterranean on 19th September 1915 and fought in the Dardanelles. The Battalion then moved to France on 2nd July 1916, where Ernest remained until 14th September 1916 when he was struck in the chest by a bullet, and was sent back home on 19th September. After limited treatment, he returned to service but was hospitalised in Newcastle-upon-Tyne for illnesses for 95 days from 4th February 1918, and was released from service on 21st April 1918.
Ernest was re-examined in Ripon on 29th July 1918, and the examiner reported seeing “scars of entrance and exit right side chest. He is very dyspnoeic on least exertion. Operation for removal of bullet from chest. Weak breath sounds. Bullet midway between sternum and right nipple. Complains of cough, shortness of breath on exertion and pain in right side of chest. On exam. there is deficient entry of air into lower part of lung and evidence of many pleuritic adhesions. Heart normal.”
Ernest was judged to have suffered 20% impairment, which entitled him to a small pension from the army, but after being discharged, he had to return to work at his old colliery. Ernest married Elizabeth Bootland in Huddersfield on 12th October 1918. Elizabeth also lived on Bank Street, at number 14. Her brother was in the Royal Field Artillery (34432), shoeing horses, and married in the same church just days before Ernest and his sister, and he was a witness at their wedding. The couple had one son, whom they named Ernest, in 1919.
Ernest’s health never recovered from his war-time experiences. He passed away in Huddersfield at the age of 47.
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