Name
Ernest Staughton
18 July 1893
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/04/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
14429
Bedfordshire Regiment
4th Bn.
‘D’ Coy.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 5
France
Headstone Inscription
NA
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour (Book), Hitchin, Not on the Hertford memorials
Pre War
Ernest was born in 18 July 1893 in Hertford and christened on 4 February 1894 in Pirton, Herts, where his mother was born. His parents were Albert William and Mary Staughton (née Buckett), they were married in Pirton in 1889.
In 1901 the family were living at 2 Maxwell Cottages, Bedford Road, Hitchin, Herts. Present were both parents: Albert (33) and Mary (31), with x and working as a blacksmith. Their children were: Arthur (8), Ernest (7) and Harry (6).
In 1911 the family were still living at the same address. Present were both parents, and Albert was still working as a blacksmith. The census recorded they had been married for 21 years with 8 children, of whom 2 had died. All the children listed above were present, with Ernest now 17and working as an errand boy for a draper. There were three new siblings: Violet Annie (9), Ethel Rose (7) and Gladys May (3).
Before joining up he was employed by G.W. Russell's Tanyard in Bancroft, Hitchin. He played football in the Union Jack Football Club and was a member of the St. Mary's Bible Class.
He joined the army in September 1914.
Officially he was recorded as born in Hertford and was living in Hitchin when he enlisted there.
Wartime Service
Ernest was allocated the Regimental Number 14429. He went to France on 31 May 1915, landing the following day. He served in the 4th Battalion of the Bedfords, wounded during the Battle of the Somme in 1916 and did not return to his unit until January 1917 having had the third finger of his left hand blown off.
At the time of his death he was in 16 Platoon of ‘D’ Company and initially he was reported wounded and missin. and was later presumed dead.
On the 23rd April 1917 the Battalion attacked and went through Gavrelle in the Arras sector and consolidated the northern outskirts. The Battalion was heavily shelled and counter-attacked but succeeded in driving the enemy off.
He has no known grave and is remembered on Bay 5 of the Arras Memorial to the Missing in France.
Additional Information
His father also served, and a local newspaper reported two other sons serving, one in France and another in Palestine. It also reported that another had been killed in France. However, that may be an error, only three sons have been identified in the census and no other son has been identified as amongst the dead in the CWGC or SDITGW records.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
