Ernest had enlisted in the Army in 1912, long before the thought of war ever entered his head. At the outbreak of war, the men of the 2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, being regular soldiers found themselves among the first British troops to land on French soil. They formed part of the 5th Division of the British Expeditionary Force. He died alongside his older brother David at The Battle Of Le Cateau and they were the first brothers to be ****ed together on the same day in WWI. As part of the 14th Brigade they had been ordered to form a rear guard action, whilst the remainder of the division made a retreat and they had been under constant heavy artillery and air bombardment for nearly 9 continuous hours. The men of the 14th Brigade are listed in the official German War Records as: A brave and fearless body of men who made the supreme sacrifice so that their comrades could make a safe retreat. From a battalion of 824 men, the 2nd Suffolk Regiment lost 720 men during the Battle of Le Cateau.

DAVID WALKER