Private Ernest J Barlow, 10th (Service) Battalion Devonshire Regiment

Devonshire Regiment

Ernest Barlow was a private in the 10th (Service) Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment (No. 2373).

He was born in Royston, Cambridgeshire and the family then moved to Baldock, Herts where his father Alfred and his uncle John Barlow had a grocers shop in the High Street in about 1895.

Ernest later worked as a shop assistant in a furnishing warehouse in Southam, Warwickshire before enlisting in the army on 15th September 1914, just over a month after the war started. He was aged 23 on enlistment and his army records show he was 5’7” tall and weighed 8st 13lbs when he signed on. His address later in his service career was given as Stanley House, Stoneygate Rd, Leicester.

Ernest's battalion was part of the the 26th Division and as such they assembled on Salisbury Plain in September 1914 but did not receive their uniforms or equipment until February to April 1915. Ernest went to France on 19th September 1915 and then on to Salonika (now Thessalonica), Greece on 13th November 1915.

Whilst Ernest was in Salonika the Division took part in the Battle of Horseshoe Hill in August 1916 and the Battles of Doiran in April and May 1917.

He was sent back to England on 11th August 1917 as unfit for active service and on 24th September in that year was discharged as being no longer fit for war service. He was diagnosed as suffering from Transverse Myelitis (inflammation of the spinal chord).

No record of his death has yet been found. All records have been checked from 1917 to 1925, which is 2 years after his name was supposedly added to the Memorial. Nor has any link been found with Great Glen.

He would have been entitled to the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.