LEATHERHEAD WAR MEMORIALS - WWI
Lance Corporal Ernest Arthur Clements
9th Bn. East Surrey Regiment
Town Memorial P2.R3.C1.
Taken, Not Given
L/CplErnest A Clements
9th East Surrey Regt
Béthune
March 15 1917
In the Parish Magazine issue of May 1915 Ernest Clements is listed as 'New Army', but no corps or regiment is given (1). The possible reason for this omission will become apparent shortly.
The records of the Queens show that though he enlisted at Kingston-upon-Thames he was actually born in Huntingdonshire, and had previously served as No.1485 Royal Fusiliers, and was killed in action (2).
The War Diary of the 9th East Surreys, unusually, gives his name as a casualty as No.32232 [sic] L/Cpl Clements E, KIA 15.3.1917 after describing the events of that morning (3). The War Diary entries read thus: –
14 March 1917 Bn. relieved 8th. Queens in the right subsection CALLONE
15 March 1917 Our 18 pounders were in action. The enemy replied with a few 'whizz bangs'.
We fired trench motors on enemy front line doing considerable damage.
He retaliated with darts of the pineapple type.
Nights are now very dark [LS – absence of moon?]
Enemy very quiet, firing a few Very lights.
Ernest Clements never saw that quiet night.
Notes on sources
1. Parish magazine of St Mary and St Nicholas Leatherhead, issue of May 1915 (courtesy of Mr L Anstee of the parish)
2. Regimental Records of the Queens, Clandon Park, Surrey
3. File WO95- 9th Bn. East Surreys, Public Record Office, Kew, Richmond.
Further research
Lance CorporalCLEMENTS, ERNEST ARTHUR
Service Number G/32282
Died 15/03/1917
Aged 22
9th Bn.
East Surrey Regiment
Son of Mr. and Mrs. William Clements, of 4, Green St., St. Ives, Hunts.
INSCRIPTION
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Buried at BULLY-GRENAY COMMUNAL CEMETERY, BRITISH EXTENSION
Location: Pas de Calais, France
Number of casualties: 624
Cemetery/memorial reference: I. C. 14.
Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser
Saturday 31 March 1917
THE WAR
Information has been received in Leatherhead this week of the death of Corpl. [sic] Ernest Clements, of the Royal Fusiliers, who for about two years prior to the outbreak of the war was an assistant to Mr. W. Suhr, of Bridge-st., Leatherhead.
Corpl. Clements was 23 years of age, and was [a] native of St. Ives, Huntingdon.
His sister, Mrs. Claydon, lived in the Kingston-road, Leatherhead, until her husband, who was an employee of Mr. W. Webb, of High-street, Leatherhead, was called up. She went back to live with her parents at St. Ives.
Cprl. Clements who met his death in France, was in a cellar with five comrades when a shell burst [in] it. Two men were killed, two were wounded, and escaped free.
Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser
Saturday 29 December 1917
The list which present has been compiled from the names that have been recorded in our Columns during the past year....
MARCH
CLEMENTS, Cprl. Ernest, Royal Fusiliers, brother Mrs. Claydon, formerly of Kingston-road. Leatherhead.
Ernest Clements is also remembered on the St Ives War Memorial in Huntingdonshire.
His life
He was the son of William and Annie Clements née Cooper of 4 Green Street, St Ives, Huntingdonshire. His father was a Bricklayer, born in St Ives; his mother was from Pidley, Huntingdonshire. Their marriage in 1885 was registered in St Ives.He was born in 1894 in Pidley, Huntingdonshire, and had sisters Ada, Mabel, Ethel (later Mrs Clayden) and brothers William and Harold.
In the 1911 Census, aged 16 he was living with his family at 4 Green Street, St Ives, Huntingdonshire and his Occupation was Hairdresser.
In that same Census his sister Ethel, then aged 22, was living at 2 Oakwood Terrace, Kingston Road, Leatherhead. She was married to William James Clayden, 24, a Meat Salesman, from Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire. This is the Mrs Clayden of Kingston Road named in the report of Ernest's funeral. Possibly Ernest lodged with the Claydens when he came to work in Leatherhead? This can't be checked in the Electoral Registers as he was not old enough to vote.
He is on the Leatherhead Church Lads Brigade Memorial. If the present CLB age regulations (upper limit 18) applied then, he would have been a member in about 1912/13.
Ernest's occupation was given as Hairdresser when he enlisted at Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey joining the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) service number 1485 and then the 9th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment, service number G32282.
He worked as an assistant to Mr
William Surh, of Bridge Street, Leatherhead for two years prior to
the outbreak of war. In her book Leatherhead in the Great War,
Lorraine Spindler recounts that Suhr was a hairdresser. Born in Memel,
East Prussia, he was one of the very few residents who could be
considered an enemy alien. As such he and his wife had to register with
the local police and was prohibited from owning a car, motorcycle,
camera, military maps or homing pigeons.
Surh came to England in about 1884. He had been active in the life of Leatherhead for over ten years. Following the sinking of the Lusitania, he wrote two letters to the Dorking & Leatherhead Advertiser in 1915 protesting his loyalty and good standing, his marriage to a Folkestone girl, etc. It did not help that that shortly afterwards a Zeppelin bombed London for the first time.
Surh came to England in about 1884. He had been active in the life of Leatherhead for over ten years. Following the sinking of the Lusitania, he wrote two letters to the Dorking & Leatherhead Advertiser in 1915 protesting his loyalty and good standing, his marriage to a Folkestone girl, etc. It did not help that that shortly afterwards a Zeppelin bombed London for the first time.
In 1916 the family were again in the local
paper, with the news of the death of Pte Stewart Suhr of the Canadian
Forces. He had been serving as a sniper, was wounded, taken prisoner and
died of his wounds.
William Surh died in 1928 of a heart attack while working in his shop, where he had been for 28 years. His obituary said 'he suffered severely during the war - much more severely, indeed, than those much vaunted British virtues, justice and humanity, should have permitted.'
William Surh died in 1928 of a heart attack while working in his shop, where he had been for 28 years. His obituary said 'he suffered severely during the war - much more severely, indeed, than those much vaunted British virtues, justice and humanity, should have permitted.'
Ernest Clements is remembered on the following memorials:
Leatherhead Church Lads Brigade Memorial
Leatherhead Town Memorial
Leatherhead Royal British Legion Roll of Honour
Leatherhead, St Mary and St Nicholas Church, Ladies War Shrine
St Ives War Memorial
Links
Surrey in the Great Warthe website editor would like to add
further information on this casualty
e.g. a photo of him, his headstone, and of any recollections of him
last updated 13 Jun 20