Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Margaret Ann Hall, (nee Luckett, married on the 2nd May 1887 in the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire) born in the April quarter of 1865 in Hook Norton, Oxfordshire (daughter of Thomas Luckett, 1827-1896 and Zillah Taylor, 1832-1917). Margaret was the husband of Edwin Hall, born 1860 in Swerford, Oxfordshire and baptised on the 3rd June 1860 in St. Mary’s Church, Swerford (son of John Hall, 1823-1885 and Mary Hatten, 1821-1877). Ernest Horace Hall, was born in the October quarter of 1894 in Banbury, Oxfordshire, his siblings were, Louisa Elizabeth Hall, a hosiery trade runner on, born on the 27th February 1886 in Banbury, Albert Edwin Hall, a needle maker, born on the 11th March 1888 in Chipping Norton, Clementina Zillah Ruby Hall, born on the 22nd August 1890 in Drayton, Oxfordshire, Minnie Frances Hall, born in the January quarter of 1892, George William Hall, born in the October quarter of 1894 and Frederick Thomas Crow, born on the 15th August 1898, the latter three siblings were all born in Banbury, in March 1901 the family were residing at Factory Road, Hinckley, Leicestershire, this being the family home of George Crow, a baker, born in the July quarter of 1853 in Hethe, Oxfordshire and baptised on the 28th August 1853 in SS. Edmund & George Church, Hethe (son of George Crow, 1826 and Mary Bull, 1828). In April 1911 Ernest was employed as a hosiery trade trimmer and was residing in the family home at 16, Mill View, Hinckley, together with George Crow, a baker, his mother, a hosiery trade machinist and his siblings, Ruby, a hosiery trade machinist, Minnie, a hosiery trade machinist, George, a hosiery trade trimmer and Frederick, a schoolboy. In the July quarter of 1917, Ernest married Lily Osborne, in the Nuneaton, Warwickshire district. Lily was born on the 11th July 1896 in Nuneaton, Warwickshire (daughter of George Richard Osborne, 1874 and Harriett Smith, 1876), Ernest and Lily resided at 27, Clarence Road, Nuneaton. Ernest’s older brother Albert was killed in action on the 2nd March 1916.
FAMILY NOTE: George Crow married Elizabeth Martha Hedges on the 14th March 1875 in Christ Church, Banbury Oxfordshire, Elizabeth was born in 1848 in Oxfordshire, together they had the following children, Thomas Henry, born on the 13th October 1875 in Banbury, William Walter, born on the 18th February 1878 in Grimsbury, Northamptonshire, Edith Mary, born on the 25th April 1880 in Banbury, George, born in the April quarter of 1882 and Louisa Elizabeth, born on the 27th February 1886, the latter two siblings were both born in Grimsbury. George’s wife died in the July quarter of 1888 in the Oxfordshire district, aged 40.
During the period after George’s wife died, a relationship was formed with Margaret Ann Hall who was married with two children, Albert Edwin Hall and Clementina Zilla Ruby Hall, the following children were born to Margaret, Minnie Frances Hall, born in the January quarter of 1892, George William Hall, born in the October quarter of 1893, Ernest Horace Hall, born in the October quarter of 1894 and Frederick Thomas Crow born on the 15th August 1898, the latter four children were all born in Banbury. All the children were recorded with the surname of Hall except the last born, Frederick who was registered with the surname Crow. No marriage registration can be found for George and Margaret and as such it remains a matter of conjecture as to whether a marriage ever took place, however both Albert Edwin and Ernest Horace enlisted into the Army using the surname of Crow.
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.
Enlisted/Attested in Hinckley, date not known.
Joined. At Leicester, date not known.
Posted. To Leicestershire Regt. Pte., date not known.
Allotted the Regimental Service number 2960.
Posted. To 1/5th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment. Private. Date not known.
First entered the theatre of war in France on the 27th February 1915.
Awarded the Military Medal. In the Field. Date not known.
Under the Army Council Instruction of 1917 that promulgated a new numbering system for all Territorial Force units, Ernest was allotted the service number 240870.
Wounded in action. Gunshot wound chest and head. In the Field. Date not known.
Died of wounds. 5/6/18.
Buried in Pernes British Cemetery, France, the headstone inscription reads: - “THEY MISS HIM MOST THAT LOVE HIM BEST.”
Awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In the event of his death, Ernest nominated his wife, Lily as his sole legatee.
On the 11th December 1918 Ernest’s widow Lily, was awarded a weekly Army Pension of thirteen shillings and nine pence, to commence on the 16th December 1918.
On Saturday June 30th 1917, The Leicester Mail published the following article under the heading. “LOCAL CASUALTIES.” – HINCKLEY M.M. WINNER. Private Ernest Horace Crow, of the Leicester’s, formerly employed at Sketchley Dye Works, has won the Military Medal.