Name
Ernest Bushby
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
26/10/1918
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
36251
Princess Charlotte of Wales’ (Royal Berkshire) Regiment
8th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ROMERIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
IX.C.15.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
St Mary the Virgin Church Memorial, Little Wymondley, All Saints Church Memorial, Hertford, Not on the St Ippolyts memorials, We are not aware of any Titmore Green memorial, Not listed on the Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Ernest was born in October 1890, in St Ippolyts. The son of William Bushby & Sarah Ann Bushby (nee Winch). He was baptised on the 13th December 1890, with his twin brother John in St Ippolyts. (His twin brother John died aged 6 months).
1891 Census records Ernest aged 5 months, living with his Grandparents at Highfield Cottages, Shilly Green, Langley, Herts. 1901 Census records Ernest aged 10, at school, still living with his Grandparents at Hill End, Langley, Herts. 1911 Census records Ernest aged 20, a Farm Labourer, now back living with his parents and elder brother William 22, in Titmore Green, near Stevenage.
He had been employed by Herbert Hailey of Great Wymondley.
Ernest Was recorded as living in Titmore Green when he enlisted in April 1915 in Hertford.
Wartime Service
Formerly posted to the 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment with the service number 4993. Then transferred to the Royal Berkshire Regiment with the service number 36251, initially with the 6th Battalion then the 8th Battalion.
He was killed just two days after his 27th birthday when the Battalion were at Le Chateau. Zero hour had been set for 1.00am and after the Barrage had opened the leading companies advanced, meeting immediate opposition from advanced Machine Gun posts of the enemy, with many men not even making it out of the trenches. The night was extremely dark and owing to the nature of the country, progress and the keeping of direction was extremely difficult. The first strong opposition was met on the Englefontaine-Robersart Road which was held by Machine Guns and the right of the attack was held up. In the meantime the left company had pushed through, two platoons of “B” Company reaching their objective at 01.40 hours, but after incurring heavy casualties were obliged to withdraw to a nearby sunken road. At about 3.00am the Commanding Officer went forward and adopted a policy of penetration by active patrolling and the line of the sunken road was eventually made good. Touch was made with the Essex Regiment on the right, ,near the junction of the main and sunken roads. The enemy retaliation was unusually heavy, guns of a heavy calibre being turned on especially on the high ground, where enfilade fire from the right caused particular annoyance. It was during this action that Ernest was killed.
He is buried in the Romeries Communal Cemetery Extension, France.
Additional Information
www.stevenageatwar.com His personal inscription on the headstone reads: “Son of William and Sarah Ann Bushby, of Titmore Green, Stevenage, Herts”.
Acknowledgments
Paul Johnson. Stuart Osborne, Jonty Wild
