No.26244, Private, William Ernest EAST
Aged 20
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Born in Bury St.Edmunds in 1895 (3rd qtr 4a:85) son of Willam and Elizabeth Lucy EAST (née BANHAM)
1901 census...Aged 5, he was at 65 Eastgate Street, Bury St.Edmunds with his father William EAST [35] Railway platelayer born Bury St.edmunds; his mother Lucy [33] born Stowmarket. 1911 census...Aged 15, an errand boy, he was at 14 Barn Lane, Bury St.Edmunds with his parents His parents were later at Audley End, Burston, Diss, Norfolk. |
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He enlisted in Epping when resident at Toot Hill, Ongar. 1st July 1916, a day that recorded the greatest daily loss of life in the history of the British Army, 57,000 casualties of which about 20,000 dead. The 2nd Essex war diary has BERTRANCOURT..1st July..Zero hour was given out as 7:30 am and 65 minutes before that hour our artillery commenced a heavy bombardment of the German trenches that lasted until 20 minutes before zero when the bombardment became intense. At 10 minutes before zero a mine was fired and at zero the leading lines of the 11th Brigade advanced. At 8:36 am "A" and "D" Coys advanced from their assembly trenches and immediately came under very heavy machine gun fire and artillery barrage. At about 9:30 am the 10th Brigade were holding a line about 50 yards short of the German 2nd line and some parties had forced their way through and got as far as PENDANT COPSE. The main line tried to consolidate themselves in the line of craters but this work was practically impossible owing to intense machine gun fire brought to bear on them from the direction of SERRE on the left flank and BEAUMONT HAMEL on the right. Later a screen of bombers advanced agzainst them and the Brigade on the left retiring left their left flank in the air. About 4pm the line was forced to retire to the German front line where a small body consisting chiefly of SEAFORTHS, ESSEX and WARWICKS with Capt A G de la Mare and 2/Lieut L G Ward of the ESSEX made a long stand in the QUADRILATERAL until 8 am on the 2nd inst when they were relieved by the Royal Irish Fusiliers.The fighting in the Quadrilateral was entirely by bombing and our men were hampered by an inadequate supply of bombs although they used the bombs found in the German trenches. At one time our heavy artillery began to shell the Quadrilateral but was stopped before doing any harm by means of an electric lamp found by a signaller. Communication was also kept with our front line by means of visual signalling and in this way bombs were asked for but the difficulty of getting them across no mans land through the fire was very great. Casualties 22 Officers and about 400 other ranks
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