Ernest Edward Forster

A Corporal with the 1st Battalion, Ernest died on 4th of May 1918 aged 30. 

Ernest was born at Lowestoft on 27 August 1887, a son of John and Charlotte Forster. He was baptised at Christ Church, Lowestoft, on 2 February 1888 and his family lived at East Raglan Street. In 1891 his family lived at 40 Queens Road and in 1901 at 16 Queens Road.

On 11 July 1908 Ernest married Anna Laura Powell at Saint Margaret’s Church. Ernest was a carpenter living at 16 Queens Road and Anna lived at 2 Trafalgar Street. In 1911 they lived at 7 Edinburgh Road and Ernest was a carpenter in the building industry. 

Ernest volunteered and enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. He joined the 6th (Cyclist) Battalion Suffolk Regiment. In 1917 he was renumbered 265104 and subsequently was posted to the 8th Battalion in France and it is likely that he was transferred to the Bedfordshire Regiment, to join its 1st Battalion, in February 1918 when the 8th Battalion was disbanded. On 1 May 1918 the 1st Battalion were in support in Nieppe Forest. On 5 May they were employed in making tracks to the front line battalion headquarters, digging, wiring and providing carrying parties. The battalion was diary shows that one man was killed, this was Ernest, and seven wounded. Ernest was buried at map reference K.25.b.8.6 and his grave marked with a cross and a photograph attached. Later the Grave Registration Unit exhumed Ernest and he was reburied at Merville: they used the cross and photograph as evidence of his identity.    

In 1918 Anna was living at 54 Queens Road, later she moved to 60 Mile End Road, Norwich, but returned to Lowestoft and lived at 13 Trafalgar Street.