Name
Ernest George Reed
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/07/1917
35
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
266927
Hertfordshire Regiment
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 54 and 56.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Sawbridgeworth Town Memorial, Great St Mary’s Church Memorial, Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Son of Charles and Elsie Reed, of 46 Cambridge Rd., Sawbridgeworth, Herts. Ernest was born in September 1882 and was baptised in November that year. He also lived with his parents at 46 Bull (Cambridge) Road, and in the 1911 census, he was recorded as a ‘Farm Labourer’.
He was living in Sawbridgeworth, when he enlisted in Herford.
Wartime Service
Like his brothers Edward and Charles he was to serve with the 1st Battalion Hertfordshire Regiment. In July 1917, this Battalion was in the vicinity of Ypres preparing for the Passchendaele offensive.
Ernest died on 31 July 1917, the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as Passchendaele.
The 1st Hertfordshire Battalion were in support of an attack on the Langemarck Line and a general bombardment of the German lines commenced at 3.45am on the 31st July and and the planned assault began. It had three objectives to achieve known as Blue, Black & Green and units of the 116th Brigade easily captured the first two objectives, preparing the way for the forward companies of the Hertfordshire battalion, to take the third objective. At 05.00am the Hertfordshires left their assembly positions to attack their objective, which lay over the crest of a ridge.
As they made their way forward, they came under heavy fire from both German machine guns and snipers but after eliminating a German strongpoint moved up towards St. Juliaan, which was only lightly held. The battalion crossed the Steenbeek with some difficulty and two of its supporting Tanks became bogged down in the mud. Things then went from bad to worse. A pre-arranged artillery barrage never materialised due to the guns being unable to move forward over the muddy terrain and the German barbed wire defences, which were fifteen feet deep in some places, were found to still be intact. It was soon realised that ground could only be won by section " rushes" supported by the unit’s own fire.
The Cheshire Regiment were on the right of the battalion but the Black Watch, who were due to cover the left flank, had been seriously delayed. This left the Hertfordshire Regiment seriously exposed and the Germans exploited this by bringing a hurricane of fire down upon the stricken troops. This was followed by a German counterattack and by 10.30am it was clear that the objective could not be achieved. Casualties were very heavy with 459 men being killed, missing or wounded.
There is now a memorial to the Hertfordshire Regiment at St. Julien erected by the Herts at War Project.
Ernest was not the only soldier from Sawbridgeworth to die here that day. At least three others died with him, possibly they were friends. There is now a memorial to the Hertfordshire Regiment at St. Julien nearby to where they died.
Ernest has no known grave. He is also named on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres. He was aged 34.
Additional Information
Elder brother of both Edward and Charles who also died
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Douglas Coe
