Ernest Edward Pope

A Lance Sergeant with the 14th Battalion, Ernest died on 13th of October 1918 aged 24. 

Ernest was born at Lowestoft in 1894, a son of Henry and Phoebe Pope. He was baptised at Saint Margaret’s Church on 31 August 1894 and his family lived at 59 Edinburgh Road and this was still their home in 1901. Later his family lived at 57 Saint Margaret’s Road. In 1911 Ernest worked on the trawler Ocean’s Gift, LT 387, at Newlyn.   

Ernest volunteered and enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft in September 1914. He joined the Essex Regiment, service number 14648, and was posted to the 10th Battalion arriving in France with his battalion on 26 July 1915. In July 1916 Ernest was attached to A Company 10th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment. Ernest received a gunshot wound to his right shoulder and was admitted to 34 Casualty Clearing Station on 29 July 1916. The next day he was evacuated via No 16 Ambulance Train. 

Once recovered Ernest was transferred to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, service number 55877, and was posted to France to serve with the 14th Battalion. He was wounded in 1917 and his name appears in the official casualty list, the War Office Daily List, of 2 October 1917. 

Ernest was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, London Gazette 2 December 1919, and the citation explains what happened to Ernest:

During the attack near Northo wood, near Villers Guislain, on the 8th October, 1918, he, finding the left flank of his company held up by a hostile machine gun, crawled up to the wire which surrounded the post and captured the crew of four men, the light machine gun, and an anti-tank rifle. His most gallant action enabled his company to continue the attack. He was afterwards killed on 13 October 1918. 

In fact, Ernest was wounded and taken to 129 Field Ambulance, where he died of wounds. Initially he was buried at Clary German Cemetery and by 1922 had been reburied at Honnechy British Cemetery.