Pte 27344 Ernest Albert Hawley

• Age: 20
• From: Leeds
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Ernest Albert Hawley was born in Leeds on 03rd December 1895, the son of Albert Hawley and his wife Sarah Ann (nee Pape). He was baptised in St. Peter's Church, Leeds, on 05th January 1896, his parents at that time living at 24 Arundel Street, and his father's occupation given as ship steward. His parents were married in Leeds in 1894; Ernest was the eldest of their eight children. His siblings were Bertram Frederick, born in Bradford (but died at 8 months), twins Fred and Thomas Henry, born in Wakefield (Thomas Henry died in infancy), Herbert, and by 1904 the family had moved to Liverpool, where John, Charlotte, and Ethel were born.

The 1901 Census finds the family living at Silcoates Mill Yard, Alverthorpe, Wakefield. Ernest A. is 5 years of age and is living with his parents and younger brother. His father Albert is a stationery engine driver born in Burnley in 1868 whislt his mother shown as Annie was born in Leeds in 1868. His sibling is Fred born in 1900. There is also a boarder at the house; John Hawley a colliery commission agent born at Rawmarsh, Yorkshire in 1837. 

By 1911 the family have moved to Liverpool and are living at 4 Nevin Street, Liverpool. Both parents are in the household, his mother this time shown as Sarah Ann. Ernest Albert is now 15 and employed as a shop boy in a clothiers makers. His younger brother, Fred, is in the household and he like his younger brother Herbert (aged 9) was born in Wakefield. The three youngest siblings were all born in Liverpool; John in 1905, Charlotte in 1907 and Ethel in 1909. There is an unrelated boarder in the property.  

His mother died in late 1912 at the age of 44.

His father remarried to Johanna Cruise (b.1883 Liverpool) in Liverpool in 1914 and had a number of children.

Albert and Johanna had a formal wedding on the 06th May 1919 at Sacred Heart R.C. Church. 

Ernest enlisted in Liverpool joining the 19^th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 27344. Based on the amount of the War Gratuity, Ernest volunteered in about May 1915, and arrived in France some time in 1916.

Formed on 7^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

Ernest  was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 20, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive. 

19^th Battalion Diary

MALTZ HORN FARM

BATTLE begun. ZERO hour 4:45 am. The Battalion reached its objective, but suffered heavy losses, and had to evacuate its position owing to no reinforcements.

Everard Wyrall gives details of the attack in his book The History of The King’s Regiment; 

"The 2nd Attack on Guillemont- 29th July 1916 the 89th Brigade the 20th King's were to attack on the right and the 19th on the left. During the evening of the 29th the night was dark and foggy when the Battalions moved off and the 19th with Lt Col G Rollo commanding, when passing the South east of the Briqueterie they were heavily shelled first with H E and then with a new kind of asphyxiating Gas shell which had curious results, at first it had no nasty effect but about 8 hrs later men began to fall sick with violent headaches and pains in the stomach. All ranks had to wear gas masks which in the darkness and mist made the going terribly difficult. It was indeed wonderful that they were able to reach their Assembly point at all. But they did and by 2.45 a.m. on the 30th July 1916 the Btn was assembled having suffered about 30 Casualties on the way up ready for the Zero hour at 4.45 a.m.

It is known that the two left Companies of the 19th under Capt. Dodd and Capt. Nicholson advanced in touch with the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on their left although they suffered many casualties from Machine gun Fire did not encounter many Germans and reached their final objective about the time allocated, beginning at once to dig in south of the orchard on the South east corner of Guillemont.  

On the left of the 19th the Scots Fusiliers most gallantly forced their way through Guillemont to the eastern side of the village but were soon overwhelmed by the enemy and few returned. 

At 8 a.m. finding that the village was not held the two left Companies of the 19th received no word from the rear or either flank believed themselves to be totally isolated so were forced to fall back and dig in, their position being untenable.

At midday the effective fighting strength of the 19th Btn was just 7 Officers and 43 other ranks" 

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July.

Casualties in the 19^th Battalion were 11 Officers and 435 Other Ranks 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone.     

He was initially declared Missing and his death later presumed for official purposes as having occurred on or since 30th July 1916.

Ernest's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Misisng of the Somme, France.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916.

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

His Army pay and a War Gratuity of £4-10s went to Mrs. Eleanor Phillips (relationship unknown). His father was awarded a pension of 5/- a week.

Ernest's loss was not the only one to befall the family as his brother, Fred, enlisted when he was under age in the 1st/6th K.L.R. and was killed in action on 20th August 1918. He now rests in Houchin British Cemetery, 3 miles south of Bethune. Fred was just 18 years old.

Albert and Johanna were living at 4 Nevin Street in 1920. The pension card shows a later address for his father at 76 Wiltshire Road, Brixton. It is not known when his father died.

Ernest and Fred are both commemorated in Liverpool's Hall of Remembrance, Panel 57.

We currently have no further information on Ernest Albert Hawley, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.