| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Ernest Jenney was born in Beverley the 4 Mar 1897 and baptised at St Mary’s Church, Beverley the 31 Mar 1897. He was one of eight children born to William Jenney and his wife Annabella (nee Riggs).William was a labourer and “corporation timekeeper” but was also a poulterer. Annabella came from Thoralby. They married at St Mary’s in 1890. The family home was on Waltham Terrace, Mill Lane, Beverley, and later at 37 Ladygate. In 1911 Ernest was an errand boy for a local greengrocer but by the start of the war was working for John Smith’s grocery business in Saturday Market according to the Beverley Guardian of 8 Aug 1917. He was unmarried.
Ernest enlisted locally on 2 Jan 1915 and joined the 2/5th (Reserve) Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment. He served in the UK until being posted to France on 8 Jul 1916. Upon arriving in France, he joined the 4th (Hallamshire) Battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment and would have taken part in various actions on the Somme in 1916. As part of the 148th Brigade, 49th Division, they were later switched to Belgium and took part in actions at Poelcapelle in the 3rd Battle of Ypres. It was there on 1 Aug 1917 that Ernest was gassed and suffering from “gas poisoning” was hospitalised for nearly a month. He later returned to his battalion and would have taken part in their actions in the Battle of the Lys in mid 1918. On 20 Jul 1918 Ernest was taken prisoner. Ernest was probably being used on labouring duties behind the German lines when he was hospitalised with pneumonia. He died at War Hospital 7 at Erquelines, Hainault, Belgium and was buried in the hospital cemetery, his earlier gassing possibly contributing to his death. He is today buried at Erquelines Communal Cemetery. He was posthumously awarded the War and Victory Medals. When the war ended Ernest’s whereabouts were unknown and as he hadn’t been repatriated his mother was in constant contact with the army authorities over her missing son. German authorities in Berlin did not confirm his death until 4 Sep 1919.
Ernest is commemorated on the Hengate War Memorial, the St Mary’s Roll of Honour and the Norwood Street Shrine but as Ernest Jenny (sic). His older brother, Tom Jenney was also the victim of gassing and was invalided out of the army as a result in late 1918.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |