No.8623, Lance Corporal, Ernest Edward TWITCHETT
Aged 24
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Ernest Edward Twithcett was born in Ashen on 29th April 1891, (Risbridge Q2-1891 4A:733), baptised in Ashen on 9th August 1891, son of
Thomas and Emma TWITCHETT (née MEEKINS). Emma was the second wife of Thomas, the first being Ellen PEACOCK (with whom they had at least 6 children)
1901 census...Aged 10, he was in Ashen, "near Ovington", with his father Thomas TWITCHETT [62] horse man, born Ashen; his mother Emma [52] born Stoke by Clare. 1911 census...Aged 21, he was in Malta with the 2nd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment. His parents were still at The Street, Ashen. His mother had borne 4 children but only Ernest still survived. |
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Ernest enlisted in Haverhill. "Soldiers Died" has him born and living in Clare.
He was in France, and the battalion were in the trenches near Estaires early enough to have qualified for the clasp to the 1914 Star, but that had to be claimed and was not even instituted until 1919, so his family probably never realised what they had to do. The battalion relieved the 2nd Scottish Rifles in the trenches near Pont Rirchon (in the area of Laventie) in the evening of 5th January. The following day just Ernest was killed and one other wounded during a fire fight of artillery and machine gun fire on the trenches. The war diary records they had taken part in the unofficial cease fire on Christmas Day 1914. |
photo: Rodney Gibson
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