Name
Ernest Cecil Short
27 January 1898
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
09/04/1917
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
805149
Canadian Infantry
87th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Searched but not found
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
CANADIAN CEMETERY NO.2, NEUVILLE-ST. VAAST
1. C. 24.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Berkhamsted Town Memorial, St Peter's Church Memorial, Berkhamsted
Pre War
Ernest Cecil Short (known as Cecil) was born on 27 January 1898 in Kentish Town, London, the son of James and Florence Short and one of eight children. He was baptised on 30 March 1898 at St Martin's Church, Kentish Town, Camden, London at which time they were living at 19 Carlton Street and his father was working as a 'railway servant'.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at Front Street, Ivinghoe, Bucks where his father was a general labourer. By 1911 they had moved to Canal House, Lock 53, Lower Kings Road, Berkhamsted, Herts.
Cecil and his brother Wilfred emigrated to Canada and on enlistment he was working as a farmer and living at Bowmansville, Ontario, Canada.
Wartime Service
He enlisted on 20 December 1915 at Bowmansville, Ontario, initially being posted to the 136th Battalion, Canadian Infantry. He is recorded as suffering from typhoid at the Camp Hospital at Valcartier from 7 - 10 July 1916 but recovered and sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia on 25 September 1916 on the SS Corsican arriving in Liverpool on 6 October 1916. He was then taken on strength of the 39th Battalion on 10 October 1916 and transferred to the 87th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Quebec Regiment) from 6 December 1916.
He was killed in action in the field on 9 April 1917, aged 19, and is buried at Canadian Cemetery No. 2, Neuville-St Vaast, France.
Additional Information
Brother to Wilfred James Short who died in 1916 and is buried in Great Berkhamsted (St Peter) Churchyard. Herts. He is also named on the Berkhamsted Memorials.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, central.bac-lac.gc.ca
