| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Ernest Peers Elliott was born in Hornsea the 21 Apr 1896. He was one of four children born to Henry Robinson Elliott and Mary Elliott (nee Wells) both from the town who married in 1893. In 1911 Ernest was a grocer’s errand boy but may have later moved to the Beverley shipyard where he was certainly employed after the war.
Ernest served as a private in the 2nd Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry in France and a photo of him as such appeared in the Beverley Guardian in May 1917. However, his medal rolls indicate that after this time he was switched to the Army Labour Corps (31st Company) most probably because he had received serious wounds and was no longer fit for front line duties. In 1918 in the light of serious manpower shortages and a very high casualty figure, Ernest was switched back to the infantry and served with 13th Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. He was awarded the War and Victory Medals.
After the war Ernest worked at the shipyard. In late 1925 he married Evelyn Firth of Beverley in 1903. They had three children Barbara born 1931, Margaret born 1932 and Eileen born 1935. The family home was at 64 Norwood, Beverley. Ernest died in Beverley in 1983 aged 87; Evelyn died the following year.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |