Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Joseph Brown, a framework knitter, born 1853 in Hinckley, Leicestershire (son of James Brown, 1819-1874 and Emma Brown, 1821-1896) and his wife Ann Brown (nee Payne, married on the 3rd October 1875 in St. Mary’s Church, Hinckley), a hosiery trade seamer, born 1856 in Hinckley (daughter of Joseph Payne, 1835 and Mary Payne, 1838). Ernest was born on the 12th September 1887 in Hinckley and baptised on the 8th October 1888 in St. Mary’s Church, Hinckley, his siblings were, Emma, a patent stitcher, born in the January quarter of 1876 and baptised on the 30th January 1876 in St. Mary’s Church, Hinckley, Clara, a winder, born in the October quarter of 1877 and baptised on the 27th October 1878 in St. Mary’s Church, Hinckley, Arthur Joseph, a schoolboy, born in the January quarter of 1883 and baptised on the 21st January 1883 in Holy Trinity Church, Hinckley, Annie, born on the 14th May 1885 and baptised on the 30th August 1885 in St. Mary’s Church, Hinckley and Gertrude, born on the 21st April 1890 and baptised on the 2nd November 1890 in Holy Trinity Church, Hinckley, all his siblings were born in Hinckley, in April 1891 the family home was at 15, Rugby Road, Hinckley. In March 1901 Ernest was employed as a hosiery trade runner on and was residing in the family home at 27, Rugby Road, Hinckley, together with his father, a hosiery trade machinist, his mother and siblings, Arthur, a shoe trade clicker, Annie, a hosiery trade shirt finisher, Gertrude and Walter, born in the July quarter of 1893 in Hinckley and baptised on the 30th October 1893 in St. Mary’s Church, Hinckley. In April 1911 Ernest was employed as a house painter and was residing in the family home at 21, Queens Road, Hinckley, together with his father, a hosiery trade trimmer, his mother and siblings, Annie, a hosiery trade mender, and Walter, a hosiery trade trimmer. On the 22nd November 1913, Ernest married Beatrice Colkin in St. Catherine’s Church, Burbage, Leicestershire, Beatrice was born on the 4th August 1889 in Hinckley and baptised on the 24th November 1889 in St. Mary’s Church, Hinckley (daughter of John Colkin and Sarah Jane Bailey). On the 4th July 1914 Ernest and Beatrice had a son, Joseph who was baptised on the 23rd August 1914 in St. Catherine’s Church, Burbage. On the 24th December 1923 Ernest’s widow married William Webster in St. Catherine’s Church, Burbage.
Ernest’s army service enlistment documents do not survive, therefore the currently available information pertaining to his military service has been obtained from the following sources: - 1921 HMSO Publication, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914 - 1919, WW1 Service Medal and Award Rolls, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards, WW1 Pension Ledgers and Index Cards and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Registers.
All that is known of Ernest’s period of military service is that he had enlisted/attested in Hinckley, Leicestershire into the Corps of Royal Engineers, and had been allotted the service number 164641. He is then recorded as having been transferred as a Private to the Northumberland Fusiliers and was allotted the service number 57386, and was subsequently posted to the 14th (Pioneer) Battalion of that Regiment. With the exception of the War Diary entries, that relate to his Battalions movements and daily occurrences, there is no information regarding Ernest’s military service, and as he was not awarded the 1914-15 Star, it is safe to assume that he first entered the theatre of war sometime after the 31st December 1915. On the 20th September 1917 he was officially reported as having been killed in action, he was buried in The Huts Cemetery, Dickebusch, Belgium. Ernest was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
On the 9th April 1918, Ernest’s widow was awarded a weekly Army pension of eighteen shillings and nine pence for herself and her son, to commence on the 22nd April 1918.
The War Diary records: 20 Sep-17 – Battalion continued work as detailed in O.O. No.4. Owing to hostile shelling of roads approaching SANCTUARY WOOD Companies were delayed and were unable to arrive at the work until 12 noon. PLUMER ROAD was taped out and the work of the Companies consisted in draining, clearing debris, felling trees, preparing and making formations as shown in progress diagram No.1. Approachable length of road 1600x, Casualties 30 Other Ranks killed, 14 Other Ranks wounded. 2nd Lieutenant J. CAVAN reported his arrival and was posted to “B” Company.