Ernest Day
The soldier:
Ernest Day voluntarily enlisted into the army in Norwich on the 25th May 1915.
He stated his occupation was ‘farm labourer’ and that he was 19 years and 4 months old. He also gave his home address as Sluice Road in Denver, Norfolk where he said he resided with his mother, Susan.
Ernest was initially assigned to the Norfolk Regiment (service number 19311) but was re-assigned to the Border Regiment on the 9th November 1915.
However, the information provided by Ernest on enlistment was untrue in a number of key details. He was actually born on the 11th February 1899, meaning he was just 16 years old and legally too young to volunteer (the minimum enlistment age at the time being 18). He also gave his home address as Sluice Road, Denver. However this was the address of his brother Arthur’s widow and her children, his own and his mother Susan’s address being Malt House Yard in Snettisham, where they had lived for some years with his father Robert.
These false details, coupled with the fact that he travelled all the way to Norwich to enlist, when there was recruitment going on locally, where he might be recognised and challenged, would clearly suggest he bravely but misguidedly wanted to become one of England’s many ‘boy soldiers’ who voluntarily joined up too young at this time in a desire to fight the enemy.
It is highly plausible that Ernest was driven not only by a desire to serve his country but to avenge his elder brothers, George and Arthur, both career soldiers, who had been killed in action in October 1914, just 8 months previously.
As a private in the Border Regiment, Ernest initially served in the middle east in Sidi Bishir, Alexandria and Ballah.
However, on the 28th June 1916 he left Alexandria with his comrades to join the British Expeditionary Force in mainland Europe. Here this young man fought bravely alongside his adult colleagues.
On the 27th September 1916, at the age of just 17, whilst in the Border Regiment’s 6th Battalion, Ernest received a gunshot wound to the right leg and side. This was so severe that a telegram was sent back to his HQ and parents informing them he was ‘dangerously injured’ and in No.25 Field Hospital, Rouen, France. His father Robert was refused permission to visit.
On the 30th September 1916 Ernest was evacuated by hospital ship back to England. He left military hospital on the 9th, November 1916, returning to his regiment.
Despite his bravery and willingness to fight and sustain injury, a young and potentially troubled Ernest had a number of scrapes with the strict army discipline of the day, which ultimately led to his true age being revealed in late 1916. Despite having been too young at enlistment and his early wound in action the army decided to both punish him and keep him within its ranks.
On the 13th April 1917, Ernest departed the UK with comrades for Bologne, joining the 1st Battalion of the Border Regiment on the 14th of April at Etaples.
On the 31st July 1917 at the tender age of just 18 years and 5 months, (the last two years of which being on active service in the army) Ernest Day was killed in action.
His name is inscribed on Panel 35 of the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres and he is honoured on both Snettisham’s memorials alongside his brothers George and Arthur.
The man:
Ernest Day was born on the 14th October 1899 in Denver, Norfolk to Robert and Susan (nee Freeman) Day.
He had six older siblings; Hannah (1885), William (1887), Arthur (1889) and George Robert (1891), Ellen – shortened to ‘Nell’ (1892) and Florence (1896).
In 1901 the family (census) were all living in Denver apart from the eldest child Hannah. By now Ernest had a younger brother, Harry aged 6 months.
By 1909 Robert and Susan had moved the family to Snettisham, Norfolk as Florence, Ernest and Harry all enrol at Snettisham school in October – the two brothers on the 14th and Florence the following week on the 18th. Florence’s stay at the school was brief, she left on the 3rd December 1909 at the age limit (Snettisham school is still in existence as the Village primary -this information taken from its records).
In the 1911 census, Robert, Susan, Ernest (Ernie), Harry and a new younger sister Lilly (born 1908) are shown residing at Malt House Yard, Snettisham.
Older brothers George and Arthur are both now away from the family home in the army.
Ernest Day remained at Snettisham school until the 3rd December 1912 shown ‘working’ on departure. His younger brother Harry left the school on the 11th May 1914.
Ernest’s two older brothers Arthur and George were ‘killed in action’ within a week of each other in October 1914.
His older sister Florence died in Canada in 1916.
Upon his death Ernest’s personal belongings of a wallet, brooch, letters , 2 photographs and 4 cards were forwarded by the army to his mother Susan at Park Lane, Snettisham.
A sad footnote to Ernest’s tragic story and the loss of three brothers from one family is there are two fading letters attached to his army file from his girlfriend a Miss Bounsall (believed) of Homerton, London, E9. The first is dated the 3rd of September 1917 (4 weeks after Ernest’s death) in which she expresses real concern and asks for information about his whereabouts as she has not heard from him for 5 weeks.
picture: Ernest Day, Snettisham School photograph 1909 (back row, first left – next to teacher)
photographs of Ernest’s mother Susan and sister Florence’s are attached to his brother George’s story.
