Name
Ernest Humphreys
1898
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
04/11/1918
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
G/23114
Royal Sussex Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
VIS-EN-ARTOIS MEMORIAL
Panel 6.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial
Pre War
Ernest Humphreys was born in 1898 in Hemel Hempstead, Herts, the youngest son of Edwin and Sarah Humphreys and one of ten children, although two died in childhood. He was baptised in Watford on 17 April 1903.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at 10 Three Crowns Yard, Watford, where his father was working as a bricklayer.
By 1911 they had moved to 53 Burnack Row, Apsley End, Hemel Hempstead and Ernest age 12, was the only child living at home with his parents. His father was working as a house painter.
They later lived at 6 White Lion Street, Apsley End.
Wartime Service
Ernest enlisted in Watford in October 1916 and was initially sent to Army Reserve to be called up later, and was mobilised on 21 February 1917. He was posted to the 24th Training Reserve Battalion at Shoreham-by-Sea in Sussex where he spent the next six months training. He was then transferred to the Royal Sussex Regiment and sent for further training to Edinburgh.
He eventually went overseas on 14 December 1917, being posted to the 7th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. He saw his first major action in March 1918 at the Battle of Baupame but suffered a bullet wound to his left leg and was taken down the line for treatment. It was a relatively serious injury and he was evacuated to England and admitted to the 3rd Northern General Hospital at Wharncliffe, Sheffield, where he remained until 1 July 1918.
Having recovered, he was posted to the 3rd Battalion and sent back to France for a short time, before being given home leave to return to Hemel Hempstead to see his family. On his return to France he arrived at the Base Depot a day late and was fined a day's pay before being posted to the 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment on 27 October 1918 which was situated at La Vallee Mulatre, near Cambrai. He spent the rest of the month in trenches there.
At the start of November, the 2nd Battalion was ordered to attack the enemy across the Sambre-Oise Canal near Catillon, where they needed to bridge the canal and capture German positions. The action began on the morning of 4 November, and although it was ultimately successful, there were a number of casualties.
Ernest was one of the casualties and was killed in action on 4 November 1918, aged 20. He has no known grave, but his name is commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial, France.
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £9 10s and pay owing of £10 18s 2s.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.dacorumheritage.org.uk, www.hemelatwar.org., www.hemelheroes.com.
