Private Ernest Burnett
12174 6th Shropshire Light Infantry
Killed in Action 18th September 1916, aged 25
Lived in Rochdale, formerly 46 Branch Road
Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France
Commemorated on the Brooklands Rd. Wesleyan Church Memorial
Burnley Express 14th October 1916

Burnleys Great War Centenary

Sponsored by: Peter Sullivan

MACHINE GUNNER KILLED (Burnley Express 14th October 1916 (P) )

Official news has been received that Pte. Ernest Burnett of the machine gun section, Shropshire Light Infantry, formerly of Burnley, was killed in action on Sept. 28th. Pte Burnett, who was 23 years of age, was an old Burnley Wood boy and at one time worked as a weaver for Messrs. Haythornthwaite at Spring Hill. He then removed to Rochdale, where his wife resides. When in Burnley he was connected with the Brooklands Road Wesleyan Church. He enlisted a fortnight after the war broke out, and had spent seventeen months in the trenches. Both his parents are dead, his father dying during the present year. Two brothers have also seen Army service, Tom being a machine gunner with the East Lancashires, and served in the Dardanelles, and now fighting somewhere in the East; and James who has served with the King’s Liverpools and lost his left leg.

FORMER BURNLEY WEAVER
OFFICIAL NEWS OF DEATH IN ACTION

Pte. Ernest Burnett (25) who formerly lived with his sister, Mrs Wilcock, at 48 Branch Road, Burnley, was killed in action on September 18th. He was in a machine gun section. He enlisted a fortnight after the war broke out, and experienced 17 months of trench life. In January he had three days furlough to come home to bury his father. Official news of his death was sent from the War Office last Saturday. The last word received from the soldier himself was a field card, dated September 16th.

Before enlisting, Pte. Burnett was a weaver. Latterly he lived at Rochdale. He leaves a widow and one child. At Burnley he worked at Haythornthwaite's, Spring Hill. He attended Brooklands Road Wesleyan Chapel and Sunday School. Two brothers also joined the Army. Tom is now in Mesopotamia. James has had his leg taken off, as a result of a shell explosion in France.

Ernest is commemorated on Burnley in the Great War where his family details can be found he had two brothers who survived the war Tom and James who lost his left leg.

My interest in Ernest is he was my sister in law’s great uncle and I am proud to be the custodian of his letters home to his sister her grandmother.

Ernest was in the 60th machine gun company attached to the 6th Kings Shropshire Light Infantry and on 18th September 1916 they were engaged in several attacks and counter attacks near Les Boeufs. They were shelled during the day and 4 were missing one of whom was Ernest. He is remembered on panels 12A & 12D of the Thiepval Memorial. On each visit we leave a small item of remembrance.
No consolation but he was killed less than 4K from where the Prime Minister’s son Raymond Asquith was killed at Ginchy three days earlier

His letters give a flavour of what the men at the front were thinking.

29th Oct 2015
‘I am alright and in the best of health …..think on be a good little girl til I come home’

31st Dec 2015
‘Going in the trenches in the morning a very good start to the new year but never mind I think we shall win’
‘It is nothing only murder the sooner it is over the better’
‘I will see you before next Christmas if I have the luck to live til then’

5th Jan 2016
‘I am alright and in the best of health… sorry doctor does not have much hope for father and I wish I was at home to be able to see him’. Hoped they would let his brothers come home ‘ but it is such a long way for Tom from the Dardanelles’

12th March 2016
‘I am alright and in very good health it must be miserable to be without lights in the streets but you cannot blame anybody just the young fellows who have had to be made to come. I think if they had come up willingly at first the war would be over by now. It has been a bit rough up here lately and we have had plenty of snow’

22nd April 2016
Heard the news that soldiers dread that his wife was having an affair …’ you might take a trip over there if only for my sake and let me know if what you say is true or not…… I will try and repay you some day for it that is if I have the luck to return.
In fact I do not care now if I return or not life is not worth living to think that I have always done my best for her ever since we were married and looked after her’

‘ Just now it is always the same out here you have shells for breakfast, dinner and tea. Ypres is no fun the sooner we move away from here the better but never mind we shall win as soon as they get someone with some sense in Parliament why do they not give the working man a chance the men who are fighting for our country but we shall be able to open the people’s eyes when it is all over’

15th May 2016

‘I am alright and in very good health at present I have got a change of address but whether it is permanent I do not know’ in this letter stressed the address to the 60th Machine Gun Company.

19th June 2016
‘I am alright and in very good health I might get to see you all sometime there are fellows who have been out here longer than me and not been home yet it all depends on your luck. With a bit of luck I shall see you all again when it is over and I do believe we are winning well it is about time they got a move on.

13th July 2016
‘I am alright and in very good health just at present. It is a bit rough out here just now but never mind I think we are winning and we have to get a move on sometime or the war would last forever ( address shown as attached 60th Brigade Machine Gun Company B.E.F.)

24th August 2016
‘I am alright and in very good health just at present. Been on the move again and don’t worry if you don’t hear from me for a bit because I expect we shall be busy before long.

12th September 2016
‘ I am alright and in very good health just at present. We have been having it a bit rough lately. You know Willie Riley off Swainbank St he is buried here somewhere.
I have looked for his grave but cannot find it. I saw his photo in the Express and it said he had been killed out here I thought he wouldn’t be old enough for the army but everybody seems anxious to do his bit. I wouldn’t mind a trip up in the air but like to have one leg on the ground you have not so far to fall then.

Ernest was killed 6days later on the 18th September. We have engraved one of the There But Not There commemorations (2018 Armistice Project) in Ernest’s name.

Peter Sullivan July 2018