Name
Ernest Albert Horrod*1
13 March 1892
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
18/08/1917
26
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
269485
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
COLOGNE SOUTHERN CEMETERY
VIII. G. 12.
Germany
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Shenley Village War Memorial, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford, Not listed on the Borehamwood memorials, Not on the Elstree memorials
Pre War
Ernest Albert Horrod was born on 13 March 1892, in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, the son of Alfred and Selina Horrod (nee Shackell). He was one of nine children, although two died in infancy. He was baptised on 12 March 1893, in the Parish Church, Elstree, Herts.
Having previous lived in Pinner, Middlesex, on the 1891 Census the family were living in Borehamwood, Herts where Ernest was born the following year. They moved again and on the 1901 Census were living in a cottage near Limes Farm, Shenley. His father was an agricultural labourer and was working as a hay binder.
The 1911 Census records Ernest, aged 19, living with his parents and three siblings in Green Street, Shenley He was then employed as a carter on a farm.
Ernest married Elizabeth Annie Roffe, on 15 August 1914, at All Saints Church, Borehamwood, Herts. She was the daughter of Matthew and Emma Roffe, of Bushey, Herts. Ernest and Annie's first child Louisa was born on 4 December 1914 and their daughter Irene was born on 30 October 1916.
Prior to enlistment Ernest was employed by James Hodges, a haulage contractor and farmer, as a carter.
Wartime Service
Ernest enlisted at St Albans, Herts in 1916 and joined the Hertfordshire Regiment (service number 9465, later re-numbered to 269485) and was sent to France in January 1917.
On 31 July 1917, Ernest with his Battalion were east of the River Steenbeek, near the village of St Julien (Juliaan), Belgium. At about 4am the Battalion moved forward in 4 lines towards the strongly defended German “Langemarck Line” (The Battalion Objective) and as they moved forward casualties grew heavier from machine gun and sniper fire. The Battalion continued to advance but on reaching the enemy wire this was found to be practically undamaged by the preceding barrage, except for one place, where an officer and a handful of men gained entry to the enemy trenches. The remainder of the Battalion were unable to get through the wire and suffered heavy casualties from enfilade machine gun fire and later a counter attack by the enemy. Due to the heavy casualties taken, the remnants of the Battalion had to fall back digging themselves in, in line with the 1st Cambridgeshire Regiment on the west side of the River Steenbeek. It was during this attack that Ernest was seriously wounded and taken back to Germany as a prisoner of war, where he died of his wounds on 18 August 1917. He was initially buried in Julich, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and is recorded in the Julich Burial Register as buried on 21 August 1917, later being transferred to the Cologne Southern Cemetery, Germany.
The Battalion strength at the start of that day was around 20 Officers and 600 Other Ranks. Casualties were very heavy with 459 men being killed, missing or wounded. This was 100% of its Officers and about 75% of its Other Ranks. and the Battalion War Diary for 2 August 1917, gives Battalion strength as 130 Other Ranks.
The Battle of St Julien on 1 July 1917 has been described as "The Hertfordshires Darkest Day".
Additional Information
His widow Elizabeth received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £2 4s 4d. She also received a widow's pension of £2 2s 11d a week from 22 April 1918. Her address on pension cards was given as Green Street, Shenley, and later changed to 1 Florence Close, North Watford, Herts.
*1 Ernest Albert Horrod is incorrectly spelt as E A Harrod on the Regimental memorial.
Acknowledgments
Taff Williams, Stuart Osborne, Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, shenleyww1.wordpress.com
