Name
Ernest Farley
14 Jun 1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
05/05/1915
20
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
14530
Bedfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 31 and 33.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
All Saints Church Memorial, Leavesden,
Leavesden Green War Memorial,
We are not aware of any memorial in Garston
Pre War
Ernest was the second son of Amos and Ellen Lucy (nee BOXALL) FARLEY of Garston, Herts. His parents married 18 May 1891 in Horsham, Sussex. Amos died 30 Sep 1943 in Watford aged 75; Ellen died 27 Nov 1952 in Watford aged 87.
Ernest was born 14 Jun 1894 in Enfield, Middx, and baptised 24 Oct 1894 at Jesus Church, Enfield. On the 1901 Census, Ernest aged 6 lived in Enfield, with his parents, elder brother William, younger siblings Edward, Albert and Edith. On the 1911 Census, the family with the addition of daughters Emily and Ellen Lucy were living at Horseshoe Lane, Garston. Edward, now a chauffeur aged 16, was living at Leavesden Vicarage, Herts.
Wartime Service
Ernest enlisted in Watford as Private 14530 in the Bedfordshire Regiment. Following training he was posted to 1st Battalion, which had been overseas since 15 Aug 1914, in a draft of 3 Officers and 300 other ranks; leaving on 27 Apr 1915 the draft arrived at the Battalion on 30 April 1915 at Ypres.
On 5 May 1915 at Hill 60 the Battalion were under gas attack and there was heavy fighting in which Ernest was killed. His remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £3 and arrears of £2 4s 2d was paid to his father. There are In Memoriams for Ernest in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 6 May 1916 and 12 May 1917.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk/ROH,
