Ernest James Saye was born on 20th March 1888 in Goldhanger, Essex.

He was a son of Walter and Sarah Saye and affectionately called ‘Dod’. Ernest was one of five brothers who served during the Great War and one of two who never returned home. His younger brother Tommy (Arthur Thomas) was wounded near Ypres and died at Lijssenthoek, Belgium in 1918, aged 20.

Ernest enlisted on 24th April 1915, having just turned 27 years old. He became Private 16031 in the Coldstream Guards. After eight months of Home Service, his Battalion was shipped overseas. Ernest initially saw fighting around Ypres but, by August 1916, he found himself ‘On the Somme’. Ernest wrote several poignant letters home to one of his sisters, Ellen, and these give a great insight into conditions and opinions held.

Ernest was in No. 3 Company, 3rd Battalion Coldstream Guards. On the evening of 14th September 1916, Ernest and his fellow Guardsmen found them-selves ‘dug in’ waiting for the order to ‘Go Over The Top’ early the next morning! This was the eve of the famous Battle of Flers-Courcelette – when tanks (land creepers) were used in battle for the very first time in history! It’s believed he went out of ‘Basil Street’ trench and (with his comrades-in-arms) wheeled right. It is highly likely that he was killed by machine gun fire from the German machine gun post in the nearby sunken road (Ginchy-Flers rd.) - he was killed on 15 Septembr 1915. Ernest is commemorated on: ‘Thiepval Memorial to the Missing’, Thiepval; The Thiepval Memorial Visitor Centre data base; Commonwealth War Graves Commission Roll of Honour; St. Nicholas’ Parish Church, Tolleshunt D’arcy WW1 Memorial Plaque; www.findagrave.com: under ‘Thiepval Memorial’; and www.ww1cemeteries.com: under ‘Thiepval Memorial to the Missing’.

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Born: 20 March 1888, Goldhanger, Essex, England

Awards:

Rank: Private 16031

Regiment: Coldstream Guards

Unit/ship/squadron: 3rd Bn.