| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Ernest was born in Beverley the 6 Apr 1888 and baptised at St Mary’s Church the 25 Apr 1888 the on of Robert Watson and his third wife Mary who came from Tickton. Robert was originally from Welton. The family lived at 28 Wood Lane. Robert was employed as a boot cleaner, he later became a hotel porter at the Beverley Arms Hotel. Ernest went into service and in 1911 was working as a footman at Mowhay Hall, near Ripon, home of Augustus Murray Cathcart.
Ernest served in the West Riding Royal Horse Artillery, he opted for overseas service and went to Egypt in late Feb 1916 from Devonport, attached to the 52nd Lowland Division. Ernest would have taken part in the Battle of Romani on 4 and 5 Aug 1916. This was the last ground attack by Turkish and German forces on the Suez Canal and their defeat became the prelude to the Palestine Campaign when British and ANZAC forces pushed north out of the Sinai Desert. He was awarded the War and Victory Medals.
Ernest married Grace Phoebe Mears from Oakham, Rutland in Grantham in 1919. By 1929 he and his wife were living in Down Street, Westminster. Both were in service; in 1939 Ernest was described as a “manager of flats”. He died in St Marylebone, London aged 78 in 1967. Grace died in 1980.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |