Ernest Firth

Lance-Corporal Ernest Firth

94253, King’s (Liverpool) Regiment, 19th Battalion

Ernest Firth was born in Ossett on the 30th October 1895 and was baptised at the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Wesley Street, Ossett on the 8th December 1895, the second child and only son of Ossett-born Joseph Senior Firth and his wife, Suffolk-born Ellen (nee Garrard), who married in 1890 in Ossett.

In 1901 Joseph, a clerk for a mungo manufacturer, wife Ellen and their two children were living on Westfield Street, Ossett. By 1911, both Joseph and his 15 year-old, son Ernest, were working as commercial clerks for a rag merchant, whilst Ernest’s elder sister, Hilda Firth, aged 16, was a milliner’s apprentice. The family were still living on Westfield Street, Ossett and the couple now have three children with the addition of a two month-old girl, Jessie Firth.

Ernest Firth was living and working at Haslingden in Lancashire in 1916 and he enlisted there in January 1916 when he joined the East Lancashire Regiment with service number 24189. He was later transferred to the 19th Battalion of the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment.

The 19th (Service) Battalion (3rd City) of the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment was formed in Liverpool on the 29 August 1914 by Lord Derby, in the old watch factory at Prescot. On the 30 April 1915, the battalion came under orders of 89th Brigade, 30th Division and landed at Boulogne in November 1915. On the 14th May 1918 it was reduced to cadre strength and on the 19 June 1918, the battalion was attached to 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division and absorbed by 14th Battalion.

Ernest Firth was most probably wounded in the Battle of the Scherpenberg on the 29th April 1918, which involved a final German attack by the Germans to capture the Scherpenberg, a hill to the north-west of the Kemmelberg. The 89th Infantry Brigade of the 30th Division took part in the Battle of the Scherpenberg on the 29th April, the last phase of the Battles of the Lys and suffered very heavy casualties.

During WW1, Scherpenberg was regarded as a strategically important position by the attacking Germans, and is located to the north-west of Kemmel Hill and south-west of Ypres.

The “Ossett Observer” ¹ had this obituary for Ernest Firth:

“Young Ossett Soldier’s Sacrifice – Following a rather hopeful letter on Saturday from an Australian clearing station in France, concerning their only son, Lance-corporal Ernest Firth (22), King’s Liverpool Regiment, who was wounded in recent fighting, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph S. Firth, of Westfield-street, Ossett, on Monday received the distressing news that the young soldier had succumbed to his injuries. An army chaplain, in the course of a sympathetic letter, said that gangrene developed from a shrapnel wound in the leg, so that it became necessary to amputate the limb. At mid-day on the previous Wednesday, the patient was wonderfully bright and cheery, and hopes were entertained of his making a good recovery, but during the afternoon he suddenly collapsed and died. The writer added that he remained brave and cheery to the end, and had been buried in a little cemetery near the clearing station.

Lance-corporal Firth, who used to be in the borough treasurer’s department at the Ossett Town Hall, had obtained an appointment in the treasurer’s department at Haslingden, Lancashire where he was giving much promise, when he enlisted in the East Lancashire Regiment, in January 1916. A few months later he formed part of a draft of men for India, but was retained in England to undergo a course of special training in musketry, and continued until September 1917, as a musketry instructor. Then he qualified form and became a Lewis-gun instructor, and was transferred to the King’s Liverpool Regiment on going to France, which was so recently as March 17th last. Until he left Ossett deceased was actively connected with the Wesley-street, Wesleyan Sunday School, being the harmoniumist for years and he afterwards identified himself with religious work at Haslingden.”