No. 34926, Private, Leslie Ernest GREEN
Aged 19
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Ernest Leslie Green was born in Freckenham (Mildenhall Q3-1897 4A:838) son of Robert and Rosina Arbon GREEN (née WHITTINGTON).
1901 census... Aged 3, Leslie was at North Street, Freckenham with his father Robert GREEN [46] a shepherd, born Snailwell; his mother Rosina [41] born Camberwell, London, sisters Mabel [10] and Daisy [7] both born in Snailwell, and brother Bertie [1] born in Freckenham. 1911 census... Aged 13, now Ernest Leslie, a farm labourer, he was in Freckenham with his parents, sister Daisy Ethel, brother Bertie William and new siblings, Marjorie Doris [9] and Arthur Robert [7] both born in Freckenham. All six children had survived. He seems to be named Leslie as often as he is Ernest. The pension card has his father at East End, Isleham. |
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He enlisted in Newmarket. The 12th Suffolks had a quiet spell in June-August 1917 in trenches at Gonnelieu. Called upon for action, late in the evening on 25th September, after an artillery barrage, 2 companies went out on a raid on German positions, aided by smoke screens. The enemy however had observed them leaving their trenches and laid down their own barrage. Despite this shelling as they advanced in the moonlight, they reached their objective. Killing many Germans in the trenches, they also bombed several dugouts, blowing in the entrances where the enemy refused to come out. They took five prisoners and a machine gun, but at a cost. Out of 8 officers and more than 200 other ranks, they sustained nearly 100 casualties, including 22 killed of which only 4 have identified graves. |
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