Isherwood, Ernest

Ernest Isherwood (1877-1918) Ernest Isherwood was born in Turton in 1877, he was the son of John Isherwood, a dairy farmer from Birches Farm, Bradshaw(1). He enlisted with the Monmouthshire Regiment in 1915(2) but unfortunately did not survive the war and died in April 1918(2)(7). War Record(2) Ernest enlisted in Bradshaw, Lancashire with the Monmouthshire Regiment, 2nd Battalion on 9th December 1915, he was mobilized on 28th April 1916 and posted on 9th May 1916. (Service number: 291242). During his service he qualified as a ‘Cold Shoer’, this is a person who fits horse shoes without the need for a furnace. The Monmouthshire Regiment raised 10 Battalions and received 25 Battle honours during the course of the war. The following was taken from the Forces War Records website and shows the movements and battles undertaken by the 2nd Battalion: ‘04.08.1914 Stationed at Pontypool as part of the Welsh Border Brigade of the Welsh Division and then moved to Pembroke Dock. 10.08.1914 Moved to Oswestry and then on to Northampton. Nov 1914 Mobilised for war leaving the Welsh Division and landing in Havre joining the 12th Brigade of the 4th Division and engaged in various actions on the Western Front including; 1914 The Battle of Le Cateau, The Battle of the Marne, The Battle of the Aisne, The Battle of Messines. 1915 The Second Battle of Ypres. 27.05.1915 Amalgamated with the 1/1st and 1/3rd Battalions as part of the 84th Brigade of the 28th Division. 24.07.1915 Resumed its identity and rejoined the 12th Brigade of the 4th Division. 03.09.1916 Transferred to defend the Lines of Communication. 01.05.1916 Transferred to the 29th Division as a Pioneer Battalion and the Division engaged in various actions including; 1916 The Battle of Albert, The Battle of the Transloy Ridges. 1917 The First Battle of the Scarpe, The Second Battle of the Scarpe, The Third Battle of the Scarpe, The Battle of Langemarck, The Battle of Broodseinde, The Battle of Poelcapelle, The Battle of Cambrai. 1918 The Battle of Estaires, The Battle of Messines 1918, The Battle of Hazebrouck, The defence on Nieppe Forest, The Battle of Bailleul, The Action of Outtersteene Ridge, The capture of Ploegsteert and Hill 63, The Battle of Ypres 1918, The Battle of Courtrai. 11.11.1918 Ended the war Celles west of Renaix, Belgium.’ (7) Sadly, Ernest’s war record goes on to detail various correspondence during 1918 to his father, John regarding his disappearance and finally on the 27th May 1919 the following was recorded: ‘The Army Council has decided this man to be regarded for official purposes as having died on or since 12.4.18 and on 2nd June 1919 a message of sympathy was sent to his Father(2). The Battles of Estaires, Messines, Hazebrouck and Bailleul listed above in 1918 all took place in April 1918 and we can assume that Ernest fought and died in one of these battles. The Ploegsteert Memorial Ernest is remembered on the Ploegsteert Memorial and also on the Roll of Honour at St. Anne’s Church, Turton. The Ploegsteert Memorial stands in Berks Cemetery Extension, which is located 12.5 Kms south of Ieper (previously Ypres) town centre. The following is taken from the Commonwealth War Graves website(15): ‘The PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL commemorates more than 11,000 servicemen of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in this sector during the First World War and have no known grave. The memorial serves the area from the line Caestre-Dranoutre- Warneton to the north, to Haverskerque-Estaires-Fournes to the south, including the towns of Hazebrouck, Merville, Bailleul and Armentieres, the Forest of Nieppe, and Ploegsteert Wood. The original intention had been to erect the memorial in Lille. Most of those commemorated by the memorial did not die in major offensives, such as those which took place around Ypres to the north or Loos to the south. Most were killed in the course of the day-to-day trench warfare which characterised this part of the line, or in small scale set engagements, usually carried out in support of the major attacks taking place elsewhere. It does not include the names of officers and men of Canadian or Indian regiments (they are found on the Memorials at Vimy and Neuve-Chapelle) and those lost at the Battle of Aubers Ridge, 9 May 1915, who were involved in the Southern Pincer (the 1st, 2nd, Meerut and 47th Divisions - they are commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial). The cemetery, cemetery extension and memorial were designed by Harold Chalton Bradshaw with sculpture by Gilbert Ledward. The memorial was unveiled by the Duke of Brabant on 7 June 1931.’ Panel Lists These are lists of individuals commemorated on memorials or screen walls and reflect the details and layout inscribed on the panels. Individuals are commemorated in this way when their loss has been officially declared by their relevant service but there is no known burial for the individual or in circumstances where graves cannot be individually marked, or where the grave site has become inaccessible and unmaintainable. Ernest is listed on Panel 10. Ernest’s war record shows that he was awarded the British War and Victory Medals(2). (15) Family History Ernest was born in Turton in 1877 and was baptised on 24th June 1877. He was the son of John Isherwood, a Dairy Farmer and Elizabeth Sharples, both born in Bradshaw. On the 1911 census the Isherwoods were living at Birches Farm, Turton and Ernest was a Carter. Census data also indicate the following: (1) Father: John Isherwood b. 1843 Bradshaw (Dairy Farmer) Mother: Elizabeth Isherwood b. 1846 Bradshaw Children: James b. 1868 Bradshaw William b. 1870 Bradshaw Albert b. 1872 Bradshaw (A Beetler) Margaret Ann b. 1875 Turton (Dairy Work) Frederick b. 1880 Turton (Farm Worker) Emily b. 1882 Turton (Housework) Minnie b. 1885 Bradshaw (Grey Stitcher) Ethel b. 1890 Bradshaw (Cotton Bleacher) Research: Karen Oldfield Standard References: 1, 2, 3, 7, 15 .

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