Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Joseph Garratt, a carpenter and joiner, born 1837 in Sapcote, Leicestershire (son of John Garratt) and his wife Mary Jane Garratt (nee Paul, married on the 27th July 1880 in All Saint’s Church, Sapcote), a tailoress, born 1853 in Hinckley, Leicestershire (daughter of Joseph Paul, 1824-1900 and Mary Ann Bromwich, 1830). Ernest Garratt Paul was born on the 16th November 1878 in Hinckley and baptised on the 18th January 1885 in St. Michael’s Church, Stoney Stanton, Leicestershire, his half-blood siblings were, Ann Elizabeth (Annie), a dressmaker, born in the July quarter of 1861, Harry John, a schoolboy, born in the July quarter of 1864 and Frederick William, a schoolboy, born in the April quarter of 1867, the latter three half-blood siblings were all born in Ullesthorpe, Leicestershire, in April 1881 the family home was at Church Street, Sapcote. In April 1891 Ernest was residing in the family home at 23, Victoria Street, Hinckley, together with his father, a carpenter, his mother and half-blood sibling, Harry, a warehouseman, and siblings, Maud Elizabeth, born on the 20th August 1881 in Sapcote and baptised on the 18th January 1885 in St. Michael’s Church, Stoney Stanton and Percy, born in the October quarter of 1888 in Hinckley. In March 1901 Ernest was employed as a shoe trade clicker and was residing in the family home at 48, Druid Street, Hinckley, together with his widowed mother, a hosiery trade brace looper and his siblings, Maud, a hosiery trade stitcher and Percy a boot trade clicker. In April 1911 Ernest was employed as a shoe trade clicker and was residing in the family home at 49, Derby Road, Hinckley, together with his widowed mother, a hosiery trade brace taper, and his sibling Percy.
FAMILY NOTE: Ernest’s father married Elizabeth Garratt on the 15th September 1859 in All Saint’s Church, Sapcote. Eliza was born on the 15th January 1834 in Sapcote and baptised on the 28th June 1837 in St. Mary’s Church, Hinckley (daughter of John Garratt, 1805-1869 and Mary Morley, 1805-1880). Elizabeth died circa 1875. Ernest Paul was born before his mother married, and when the birth was officially registered, he was given his father’s surname as a second Christian name.
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, Leicestershire, date not known.
Joined. At Leicester, date not known.
Posted. To Leicestershire Regiment, Private, date not known.
Allotted the Regimental Service number 4456.
Posted. To 1/5th (Territorial Force) Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, Private, date not known.
First entered the theatre of war in France after the 31st December 1915.
Under the Army Council Instruction of 1917 that promulgated a new numbering system for all Territorial Force units, he was allotted the service number 241606.
Transferred. To 8th (Service) Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, Private, date not known.
Wounded in action. In the Field. Date not known.
Admitted. To 37th Casualty Clearing Station, France. Date not known.
Died. In 37th Casualty Clearing Station. 26th April 1917.
Buried. In Avesnes-le-Comte Communal Cemetery Extension, France. The inscription on his headstone reads; - “HE ANSWERED THE CALL.”
Awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In the event of his death, Ernest nominated his widowed mother, Mary Jane as his sole legatee.
A note in the IWGC documentation indicates that Ernest’s mother paid four pounds and eleven shillings for the headstone inscription.
As Ernest died of wounds, I am making the assumption that they could have been inflicted during the action’s that are recorded in the War Diary for the 5th to the 14th April 1917.
The War Diary records. The Battalion moved forward and occupied the outpost line on the HENIN – CROISILLES ROAD. “D” and “C” Companies held the front line of posts in the sunken roads T.17.d. and a. due north of CROISILLES. “B” Company were in support in the sunken road running through T.16.b., 17.a. and c. “A” Company in reserve in the sunken road T.21.d. Battalion HQ in the railway embankment T.20.d.80.25. The Battalion held this line until the night of the 12th/13th April, patrols were sent out continually at night and contact was established with the enemy. -?- in dispositions was made as follows:- On the 9th April Battalion HQ moved up to the sunken road in T.22.a..20.35. -?- then “A” Company from reserve relieved “D” Company in the front line as a consequence of heavy casualties suffered by “D” Company who lost 4 officers and 15 other ranks on the night of the 10th/11th April from enemy shell fire. 2nd Lt. W. H. BENNETT was killed and 2nd Lt’s. MESNY, DOUGLAS and UNDERWOOD (died of wounds 16th April) being wounded. On the morning of the 12th April “D” Company under Major T. L. WARNER carried out a minor enterprise in conjunction with the 6th LEICESTERSHIRE REGT and the 64th Infantry Brigade. The operation was to bomb down the HINDENBURG TRENCH and take up a line close to and on three sides of FONTAINE-LES-CROISILLES. “D” Company continued the line of attack on the right of the 6th LEICESTERSHIRE REGT, who were to keep in touch with the line of the attack of the 64th Infantry Brigade, but were to remain outside the wire of the HINDENBURG LINE. The operations were held up, very early in the day owing to failure in supply of bombs. Major WARNER using every bit of cover afforded by the folds in the ground remained with “D” Company out in the open until midnight 12th/13th April, during which time the Company suffered casualties to 20 other ranks, 8 being killed. The same night the Battalion was relieved by the 7th LEICESTERSHIRE REGT. Bivouacked in MOYENVILLE whence it marched to ADINFER and bivouacked on the 14th April.
Saturday June 30th 1917, The Leicester Mail published the following article under the heading. “LOCAL CASUALTIES.” – HINCKLEY DISTRICT CASUALTIES. Private Ernest Garrett, of Hinckley, has died from wounds with the Leicester’s.