Driver Ernest Welch
17801 16th Bttn. Royal Field Artillery
Lived at 87 Waterloo Road

My mother used to talk about him arriving home when his mother was very ill and calling from the back yard for a dolly tub of lysol. He stripped every stitch of clothing off because of the lice which he didn't want to take into the house.

I think he served at the Somme but am not sure. I would be grateful for any information.

He was injured when he was riding a mule with a pack mule at the side of him. A shell exploded and blew part of the pack mules belly away. Some of the fragments went into his thigh and he was seriously injured. The pack mule was so crazed it just ran for their lines and then collapsed and died. It saved his life. He had a little tin box and every so often a bit of the shell would work it's way out of his leg and he would keep it in the tin. I remember him showing me one bit coming out of his calf. He said as long as gravity caused them to come down and out he was ok. It was only if they cut a large blood vessel or worked upwards to some vital organ they would be dangerous. When he was convalescing he learned to do tatting and we all have mats that he made.

(Courtesy of his Great Niece Joan Abbott)