Capt Eric Bernard Hough (MC)

• Age: 21
• From: Birkenhead, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Monday 29th April 1918
• Commemorated at: Tyne Cot Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 31-34

Eric Bernard Hough was born on 09th August 1896 in Wallasey, Cheshire the first son of Ernest Edward Hough and his wife Louisa (nee Morrell). He was baptised at St John's Wesleyan Methodist Church, Princes Park, Liverpool, sadly no date was recorded for his baptism. His parents address is given as 119 Ullett Road, Liverpool.

A younger brother, Donald Ernest Hough, was born 2 years later, but sadly died on 11/10/1899 aged 13 months.  

In 1901 Eric B., aged 4, was living with his parents and 3 servants at 17 Devonshire Road, West Kirby. His father, is a stemaship owner born in Liverpool in 1871, whilst his mother was born in Oxton, Cheshire in 1873.

His mother, Louisa, died on 24th November 1902 aged 30 when Bernard was aged just six years old. His father remarried one of Louisa’s second cousins, Alice Maud Morrell. 

He was provisionally educated at the Mount Preparatory school in West Kirby and he is found there as a Boarder in the 1911 Census aged 14. From May 1911 until July 1913 he was a pupil at King William’s College on the Isle of Man. He also studied at Liverpool University.

Eric Bernard enlisted in Liverpool as Private 21514 in the 19th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment and was promoted initally to Lance Corporal. He was then appointed to 2nd Lieutenant from 15 January 1915. He was in the original draft that crossed the Channel to France in November 1915 as a Second Lieutenant, attached to No.4 Company. He is first mentioned in the 19th Battalion War Diary on December 29th 1916 when he was granted UK leave. He was granted further leave in June 1917.

On 31st July 1917, the first day of the Battle of Passendale, the Battalion was in reserve until the evening when it moved up to the Menin Road, to help relive units of the 53rd Brigade. During this movement it was heavily shelled, and Hough by now a Captain, was wounded. He nevertheless remained on duty until 7th August, when his wounds were attended to in the nearby Field Ambulance. He had obviously returned to the Battalion by early October, when once more granted UK leave, on 6th November, he is mentioned in the Battalion War Diary as been in charge of ‘B’ Company on revetting work in Ramilles Camp, near Ypres. (The change of Company designation from No.1 Company, No. 2 Company, etc, to ‘A’ Company, ‘B’ Company, etc, seems to have taken place sometime in November 1916, as in October, the former is used in the Battalion War Diary, whilst by the end of November, the latter style is used exclusively.)

He was granted one month’s UK leave on 17th February 1918,but it is not clear whether he returned in time to face the German Spring Offensive which began on 21st 1918. He was killed on 29th April 1918, the first day of the Battle of Scherpenberg. During that period the Battalion had moved up north to the Ypres Salient and was in front line defensive trenches near Voomezeele. At 03.00am the Germans opened up a fierce bombardment of gas and high explosive shells on the rear lines and followed this at 06.00am with a powerful infantry assault, which took the outpost line, but failed to pierce the Battalion front. The attack was entirely repulsed along the whole Battalion frontage throughout the day, the enemy suffered many more losses as survivors were picked off, as they tried to get back to their lines.

Brigadier General FC Stanley, the 89th Brigade Commander said of this, “Our men managed to get in some very good shooting, Sniping all day. “

Despite this however, Captain Hough was reported missing during the day’s fighting and was later presumed killed on that date. Perhaps he was in one of the outpost positions when the enemy attacked. His body was not found and identified after the war and as such his name is ionscribed on the Tyne Cot Memorial in Belgium. 

Those United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after August 16th 1917 are named on the Tyne Cot Memorial, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war.

The Tyne Cot Memorial now bears the names of almost 35,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Herbert Baker with sculpture by Joseph Armitage and F.V. Blundstone, was unveiled by Sir Gilbert Dyett on 20 June 1927.

The memorial forms the north-eastern boundary of Tyne Cot Cemetery, which was established around a captured German blockhouse or pill-box used as an advanced dressing station.

Eric Bernard is Commemorated on his mother's grave at St Bridget's Parish Church, West Kirkby, the inscription states :

CAPT. ERIC BERNARD HOUGH, MC 19TH KING’S LIVERPOOL REGT. DEARLY BELOVED SON OF THE ABOVE, KILLED IN ACTION IN FRANCE 28TH APRIL 1918, AGED 21 YEARS.  

He is also further commemorated on his Father’s grave in St Oswald's Bidston Cemetery, this states :

ALSO OF CAPT E. B. HOUGH MC, 19TH KING’S LIVERPOOL REGIMENT. KILLED IN ACTION, 28TH APRIL 1918,IN FRANCE, AGED 21 YEARS.

Both Memorials state he was killed in action on 28th April 1918, which is clearly a mistake, and both gravestones state he was killed in action in France. Although Voomezeele is in Belgium, it was not uncommon at the time to mistakenly refer to the locations in the Flanders region, as being in France.

His posthumous award of the Military Cross was published in King's Birthday Honours list in the Supplement to the London Gazette of 3rd June 1918, but it does not contain a Citation. Thus it is not clear whether the Cross was given for the action in which he was killed, or the earlier fighting during the March breakthrough.

Probate was granted as follows:

HOUGH- Eric Bernard of Sherwood, Vyner Road, Bidston, Cheshire died on or since 29th April 1918 in France or Belgium. Administration London 06th May to Ernest Edward Hough, gentleman. Effects £13,551.17s 10d.  

He is also remembered on the following memorials:

St Oswalds, Bidston,

St Luke's Methdist Church

Hoylake and West Kirby

King William's School Isle of Man

Liverpool University.

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