occupation

Soldier

dates

Born: 6 Feb 1898 in Langford
(then Berks, now Oxon)

Died: 1 Dec 1915 at 2nd Stationery Hospital, Loos, France

residence

Langford (then Berks, now Oxon) and Stratton St Margaret, Swindon (Wilts)

submitted by

Alex McGAHEY (great-nephew)

related faces

Harry FITCHETT (father)

Ivy Constance FITCHETT (sister)

Background information

Ernie was born at Langford, Berkshire on 6 February 1898, the 3rd son and 9th child of Harry FITCHETT and his wife Mary Ann (née HACKER), who was more often known as Polly.

The 1901 census has Ernie as a 3 year old living with his parents and six of his siblings at Stratton St Margaret, Swindon, and it would seem likely that the 1911 census will have him as an agricultural labourer somewhere.

Two of Ernie’s sisters had married and moved to Cwmbran, and that one brother-in-law, Sydney Charles LAWRENCE, husband of sister Elsie, was already a soldier in the 2nd Battalion South Wales Borderers Regiment based in Brecon. By the time that the First World War had broken out in August 1914, Ernie had already, albeit under-age, enlisted in ‘A’ Coy, 1st Bn SWB as Pte 11626, so it is possible that he was in the Brecon area with his sister(s) at the time.

Ernie went overseas to France on 12 August 1914 as part of the BEF and from letters home to his eldest sister, Cissie (Millicent) that are still with the family, it is known that by December of 1914, he was wounded enough to be in a hospital in Edinburgh. By February 1915 he had rejoined his Battalion and was in action at Gheluvelt (Oct 1914), Neuve Chapelle (Mar 1915), Hulloch  (Sep 1915) and Loos.

He was among the men inspected in the field by Lord Kitchener in July 1915, but sadly he was admitted to the 2nd Stationery Hospital on 24 November 1915 with a bad thigh wound. On 27 November they had to amputate his leg and he died on 1 December following the onset of gangrene. The 1st Battalion War Diaries show that the men of ‘A’ & ‘B’ Companies were part of a working party but in the front line on 24 November, but there is no mention of any fighting, so Ernie was wounded at a quiet time in the War.

He is buried at Abbeville Military Cemetery, Plot 3, Row D, Grave 8.

The family have his cap badge from the SWB, and the 'Death Penny' with his name on, but it is not known where his medals went. Ernie was commemorated on the War Memorial at Coleshill where his family lived several times, but only as a soldier who had served with the Royal Field Artillery. After my researches, the Memorial has been altered to show his sacrifice and the correct Regiment.