Name
Ernest Allen
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
12/03/1915
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
4/3837
Bedfordshire Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LE TOURET MEMORIAL
Panel 10 and 11
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
St Mark’s Church Plaque, Colney Heath, We are not aware of any Tyttenhanger memorial
Pre War
Born and lived in Tyttenhanger Green, Hertfordshire and was a bricklayer’s labourer prior to enlisting.
Wartime Service
Given the date of his death, and place of his memorial, it is likely that Ernest was killed in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle.
Service Record Notes:
The Bedfordshire Regiment war diaries at the time of Ernest’s death record the following:
3rd March 1915: “The Battalion move to Ouderdan, South East of Ypres and camped in the newly constructed huts.”
4th March 1915: “The Battalion marched at night to take up position in support from the Royal Scottish Fusiliers.”
10th March 1915: “The Battalion relieved the Dorset Regiment in trenches (trench ref: 32a) at about 6.30pm that night.”
11th March 1915: “The situation in the trench is recorded as “unpleasant”. The Germans held one end of it, with the French parallel to it. It was impossible to show the periscope for more than a few seconds without getting a bullet through it. It was also impossible to see where any firing was coming from as there were no heads (enemy) above the parapet and no rifles appearing at the loopholes.”
12th March 1915: “The war diaries record that the enemy bombed the junction of the trench (ref: 32a) and the French held trench (ref: 33) with heavy trench Howitzer’s. Almost 20 yards of parapet was blown in, killing and burying 16 men. The enemy continued to drop bombs onto this location all day, thereby isolating the men from any sort of relief or ability to evacuate the injured men.”
It is likely that Ernest was killed in this incident as his death is recorded the same day.
Given the date of his death, and place of his memorial, it is likely that Ernest was killed in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle.
Additional Information
In 1911 Ernest was living in Tyttenhanger Green with his mother, Mary Ann (a widow). The census also records that Ernest was single and had six brothers and sisters, although none of them were living with him and his mother at the time.
Acknowledgments
Graham Clark – World War One – The Fallen of London Colney, Grace Clark, Jonty Wild
