Westerman, Ernest William

Ernest was born on 4 December 1900 at Ashwell, Hertfordshire, the second son of Herbert George and Nellie Sarah Jane (nee Westerman) Westerman.  He was a pupil at the Merchant Taylors School in Ashwell until the end of November 1913 when, according to the school records, he left to take work as a bottle washer at a brewery having reached exemption age.

Ernest (aka William Ernest) enlisted at Bedford, Bedfordshire on 31 January 1918.  He was posted as Private to the 3^rd  Royal East Kent Regiment (The Buffs), Regimental Number 25566, on 8 February 1918.  On 10 July 1918 he embarked for the Western Front, France and Flanders.  After having initially spent a few weeks in a hospital in Trouville for a minor ailment he was transferred to Etaples where he re-joined his battalion on 14 December 1918.  On 1 March 1919 he transferred to the 6^th Service Battalion of the Royal West Kent Regiment, Regimental Number G/22418.  In June 1919 Ernest suffered from pleurisy, was admitted to a field hospital and evacuated back to England.  After two weeks furlough at home Ernest was posted to the regimental depot until he was demobbed at the end of the War.  Ernest survived the War.

Ernest was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal

He is commemorated on the St Mary’s Church Ashwell Roll of Honour.

Ernest married Mary Pettengell in the Royston District on 3 November 1923.  They had two children, Joyce Muriel born in 1924 and Ernest George born in 1926.

The 1939 census shows him living at Ashwell and working a slinger crane at a steel foundry.

Ernest died at Ashwell in October 1970 and was cremated (probably at Royston, Cambridgeshire) on 16 October 1970.

Ernest’s brother George also saw active service in the War and survived.