Ernest Isaac Mutimer

A Private with the 9th Battalion, Ernest died on 16th of September 1916 at the age of 20. 

Ernest was born at Wilby, Suffolk, in 1896, a son of George and Florence Eliza Mutimer. In 1901 his family lived at Crockrells Road, Wilby, and by 1911 they were living at Hall Cottages, Wilby, and Ernest was a cattle-boy on a farm. Later the family lived at 3 Grove Cottages, Carlton Road, Pakefield, before living at 5 Oakland Terrace, Kessingland. 

Ernest volunteered to join the Army and enlisted at Beccles. He joined the Suffolk Regiment and arrived in France on 23 September 1915 with the 9th Battalion.

On 13 September 1916 the 9th Battalion were in trenches near Guinchy on the Somme. At 6.20 a.m. they attacked the German lines and were able to capture two lines of German trenches, however, the enemy artillery and machine-gun fire inflicted heavy casualties. The situation could not be cleared up and so, at 7.30 a.m. A Company made an attack on the German strongpoint known as The Quadrilateral, but they failed to reach their objective due to enemy machine-gun fire. By the end of the day two officers and 15 men had been killed and 10 officers and 185 men wounded. 

On 15 September the Battalion made an attack on the enemy trenches with a final objective between Lesbouchs and Morval. The Battalion were to advance at 7.50 a.m. There was heavy enemy artillery and machine-gun fire and half of C Company could not even leave the trench. The rest of the Battalion were held up by heavy machine-gun fire from The Quadrilateral. There were many casualties, including Lieutenant-Colonel Mack. During the day the Battalion lost four officers and 35 men killed, seven officers and 99 men wounded, and two officers and 93 men missing. 

The Army Register of Soldiers' Effects shows that Ernest was killed in action between 13 and 16 September 1916. But the 9th Battalion war diary states that there were no casualties on 16 September.  

Ernest's brother Nelson served with the Suffolk Regiment and died in a training accident in 1942.