EVERTON, Ernest

Ernest Everton was a regular soldier with the Worcesters and was the first Stourbridge man to be killed in the Great War. His parents, Thomas and Lottie, lived at 2 Field Lane, Oldswinford, and he attended Oldswinford C of E School. By 1914 he was 29, married and living in Kingswinford. He had completed his service with the colours but remained in the reserve. He was called up on the 4th August and then joined the 3rd Battalion in the British Expeditionary Force at Aldershot. They crossed the Channel eight days after call-up, marched into Belgium nearly as far as Mons and met the German advance head on. On the 23rd August they were just behind the front line and heard the noise of battle only three miles in front of them. Retreat was inevitable, given the strength of the German army. A ten day continuous withdrawal of 150 miles took them south and beyond the River Marne. On the 5th September they turned about and the German forces were driven back to the River Aisne. This was part of the crucial action which prevented German victory in 1914. When the Germans decided to hold the river line, the battalion took part in a series of attacks starting on 13 September at Vailly-sur-Aisne. Casualties were heavy and amounted to about 150 men. Among them was Private Ernest Everton, who was killed in action on the 21st September. He was 29 years of age and is commemorated on the La Ferté-sous-Jouarre Memorial. His name is also commemorated on the Kingswinford, Oldswinford and Oldswinford school Memorials.