Name
Ernest Alfred 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
He has no family inscription on his Headstone
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
*1 Ernest Albert Horrod is spelt as E A Harrod on the Regimental memorial. He was born on 13 March 1892, in Elstree/Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, the son of Alfred Horrod a, Farm Worker and Selina Horrod (nee Shackell). The youngest of 9 children, 2 died in infancy. He was Baptised on 12 March 1893, in the Parish Church, Elstree, Herts.
The family lived initially in Pinner, Middlesex, moving to Borehamwood, Herts between 1889 and 1891. In 1891 Census the family were living in Theobald Street, Borehamwood, Herts, prior to Ernest's birth and the 1901 Census records Ernest aged 9, living with his parents and five siblings in Cottage (?) Shenley, Herts. The in 1911 the Census records Ernest aged 19, Single, and employed as a Carter on a Farm, living with his parents and three siblings in, Green Street, Shenley, Herts.
Ernest married Elizabeth Annie Roffe, on 15 August 1914, at, All Saints Church, Borehamwood, Herts. The daughter of Matthew and Emma Roffe, of Bushey, Herts. They went on to have two children, Louisa Ellen Horrod, and Irene R. Horrod.
Pryor to enlisting Ernest was employed by James Hodges, a Haulage Contractor and Farmer, as a Carter, (Carrier of good in a Cart).
Wartime Service
Ernest enlisted at St Albans, Herts, posted to the Hertfordshire Regiment with the service number initially 9465 then 269485. On completion of his training Ernest saw service on the Western Front.
On 31 July 1917, Ernest with his Battalion were East of the River Steenbeek, near the Village of St Julian, Belgium. At about 4am. The Battalion moved forward in 4 lines towards the strongly defended German “Langemarck Line” (The Battalion Objective) as they moved forward casualties grew heavier from Machine Gun and Sniper Fire, the Battalion continued to advance 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-Westfalen, Germany. He is recorded in the Julich Burial Register as buried on 21 August 1917.
The Battalion strengthen at the start of that day was around 20 Officers and 600 Other Ranks. The Battalion War Diary for 2 August 1817, gives the strength of the Battalion as 130 Other Ranks.
Additional Information
Elizabeth received a widows pension of 22/11 a week from 22 April 1918, and his effects of £2-4s-4d, Pay Owing and his War Gratuity of £3. Elizabeth’s address on her pension card was initially, Green Street, Shenley, and then, 1, Florence Street, North Watford, Herts.
Acknowledgments
Taff Williams, Stuart Osborne
Jonty Wild
