2nd Lieut Ernest Arthur Frederick Hewett

• Age: 24
• From: Plaistow, Essex
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 28th March 1918
• Commemorated at: Pozieres Memorial
  Panel Ref: P21-23

Ernest Arthur Frederick Hewett was born on the 20th Mar 1893 in Plaistow, Essex, the son of James Pink and Annie Edith (nee Hewett) Hewett, of 42 Herbert St, Plaistow, Essex, who married on 27th Sept 1885 in Poplar, London. At the time of the marriage James Pink was a 35 year old police constable (on docks). Ernest was baptised on the 2nd May 1898 at St Mary the Virgin, Plaistow. Brothers Percy died in infancy in 1889 and George in 1893 aged 2.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 42 Herbert St, Plaistow. 

The father James aged 49, is a navvywho was born in London,and his wife Anne E. is aged 49 and born in Lincolnshire,and has no occupation listed. They have two children James aged 14, a dock messenger and Ernest aged 7 and both were born in Plaistow.

On the 1911 census the family are still living at 42 Herbert St, Plaistow. 

The father James Pink aged 59, is employed as a general labourer b.Kings Cross, London, and his wife Anne Edith aged 49 with no occupation listed. They have been married for 25 years and have had four children of which two had died. They have their son Ernest Arthur Frederick 17 a furnace stoker in the Athletic industry. living with them when the Census was taken.

Little is known about his service with the Battalion, as he does not appear in the Battalion War Diary until the 31st October 1917,when he is recorded as having been transferred to the 2nd Battalion The Essex Regiment. He reported for duty with this unit on 5th November 1917 and was killed still serving with it on 28th March 1918 during the German Spring Offensive.

On that day the 2nd Battalion The Essex Regiment was in the line at Athies, near Arras, France awaiting the German onslaught that was inevitable after the initial breakthrough made around St Quentin after 21st March 1918. At 03.00am, the German artillery commenced a very heavy bombardment on front, support and reserve line trenches, and at the same time shelled the rear areas to prevent reinforcements being brought forward. Trench Mortar fire was also directed onto the British front and support lines cutting the barbed wire. By 7.05 am, Infantry could be seen massing in the German front line trenches, and SOS rockets were sent up from all companies.

At 07.35am, the enemy broke through on both of the Battalion’s flanks, and the Battalion Headquarters had to be withdrawn to avoid its capture. Eventually, a strong point was found to stem the enemy attack but by that time thirteen officers and three hundred and sixty three other ranks had been killed, or were missing. Second Lieutenant Hewett was reported missing, but nothing more of him was ever seen, and he is presumed to have been killed in the German attack. He was aged twenty four.

He is Commemorated on the Memorial to the Missing of the 5th Army of 1918 on the Pozieres Memorial.

The POZIERES MEMORIAL relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.

The cemetery and memorial were designed by W.H. Cowlishaw, with sculpture by Laurence A. Turner. The memorial was unveiled by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien on 4 August 1930.

Soldiers Effects and Pension went to his mother Annie Edith.

Mother Annie Edith died in 1937 aged 84 and father James died in 1940 aged 89.

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