Name
Ernest Jenkins
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
02/09/1918
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
204609
Essex Regiment
10th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
VIS-EN-ARTOIS MEMORIAL
Panel 7.
France
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Potters Bar, Little Heath & Bentley Heath Memorial, Potters Bar, All Souls Chapel Book of Remembrance, Potters Bar
Pre War
Ernest Jenkins was born in 1891 (baptised at Northaw on 1 Mar 1891) in Enfield to George and Isabell (nee Pearce).
On the 1891 Census the family of Parents, Thomas (born 1878), George (born 1880), Eliza (born 1883), John (born 1884), Alice (born 1886), Isabella C (born 1889) and Ernest were living at Cooper’s Lane. Enfield.
On the 1901 Census the family of parents, John (farm Labourer), Alice Daily servant), Isabella, Ernest, Lucy (born 1896) and May (born 1898) were living at Wells Farm Lodge, Northaw, Hatfield.
On the 1911 Census Ernest was listed as a groom living at Leggatt’s Stables Potters Bar. His widowed mother together with George (farm labourer), John, Lucy (a servant), May and grandson Frederick (born 1907) at 2 Bath Cottages, Southgate Road, Potters Bar.
Ernest attested as CMT/2894 in the Army Service Corps Mechanical Transport Special Reserve and was used as a Driver on 23 Jan 1914 on 1 year engagement. On the 18 Apr 1914 he married Elizabeth Pace.
Wartime Service
Already serving with the Army Service when the Great War Ernest went to France on 13 Aug 1914 to serve with 1st Divisional Train ASC The 1st division in 1914 was present at Mons and Retreat, Marne, Aisne and Ypres: In 1915 Aubers and Loos. He returned to UK on 15 Jan 1916 and was discharged as engagement complete on 22 Jan 1916.
No Service record was found for Ernest after Jan 1916. We know that he would be eligible for further Service and there is a record of a Training Reserve Number of T4/238096 (T4 probably indicating compulsory transfer to other Army Units) and was later enlisted as a Private in the Essex Regiment and had the service Number 204609 which would indicate a Territorial Force Soldier who was serving during the Territorial Renumbering of 1917. However the amount of War Gratuity awarded would suggest his service counted back to 1914. Only the details on the missing Service Record would clarify this anomaly.
Ernest was reported killed in action on during the 2nd Battle of Bapaume (3! Aug – 3Sep 1918) and his death to have been on 2 Sep 1918. His remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £18 10s and arrears of £19 14s 10d was paid to his mother.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
