Ernest Reginald Rushmore

A Second Lieutenant with 4th Battalion attached to the 11th Battalion, Ernest died on 6th of September 1917 at the age of 20. 

Ernest was born at Great Yarmouth on 22 June 1897, a son of John Ernest and Caroline Sarah Rushmore. He was baptised at Great Yarmouth on 29 August 1897 and his family lived at Southtown. In 1901 his family lived at 1 Richmond Place, Kirkley. By 1911 the family were living at 12 Grosvenor Road and later at Victoria House, The Esplanade, Lowestoft.

Ernest enlisted in the Army and joined the London Regiment, service number 6236. He was posted to the 2/28th Battalion. In March 1916 the 2/28th Battalion became No 15 Officer Cadet Battalion. On 5 September 1916 Ernest, until then an Officer Cadet, was commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the Lancashire Fusiliers (Special Reserve). He was posted to the 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion and was then attached to the 11th Battalion in France and joined the battalion, in the field, on 5 July 1917. 

On 3 September 1917 the 11th Battalion took up positions at Westhoek Ridge, Belgium. The battalion war diary for 6 September has:

At about 7 a.m. a minor operation was carried out by Division on our left, which brought down a heavy enemy barrage on the forward slope of Westhoek Ridge, lasting about one and a half hours. Enemy shelling continued throughout the day. Again at 7.30 p.m. the enemy opened a heavy barrage on our front which lasted until 9.15 p.m.
Casualties: - 2nd Lt E.R. Rushmore and 13 O.R.s killed in action
Battalion was relieved by Loyal North Lancashire Regiment commencing at 9 p.m.