Ernest Johnson

Memorial: South Gloucestershire war dead not on a local memorial

Regiment: Royal Navy

Medals: British War Medal, Next of Kin Memorial Plaque 1914 - 1921, Victory Medal

Rank and number: Stoker 1st Class K/5825

Parents: George and Annie Maria Johnson, step-mother Clara Johnson

Home address: 21 Two Mile Hill, Kingswood, Bristol

Pre-war occupation: Sailor

Date of birth: 12/12/1888

Date of death: 14/09/1914

Buried/Commemorated at: Died at sea. Commemorated at Plymouth Naval Memorial Devon. Not commemorated on a local memorial.

Age: 23

Further information:

Ernest was born in St. George in Bristol, the son of a coalminer and a middle child of eight with four sisters and three brothers. One of his sisters and one of his brothers both died as children. Ernest’s mother died in 1899 when he was aged 11, and his father remarried in 1900 when Ernest acquired two step-sisters and a step-brother. After leaving school, Ernest worked as a bootmaker and he was not baptised until 1909 when he was aged 21.

He enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1910 and his Naval records state that his year of birth was 1891 but his baptismal record states that his year of birth was 1888. The day and month are the same in each case, which suggests that for whatever reason, Ernest gave an incorrect date of birth when he enlisted. At the time of his enlistment, he was described as 5’3½” tall with brown hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion.

Ernest’s first ship was the Vivid II, on which he served as a stoker 2nd Class. He was promoted to Stoker 1st Class after 12 months. Ernest joined his last ship, the HMS Berwick on the 16th September 1913 and a year later, he was lost overboard. There was a court of enquiry that found that Ernest had died as the result of an accident.

By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):

This information has been provided by Sarah Hands, Volunteer Researcher for the South Gloucestershire War Memorials Web Site.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
https://www.cwgc.org/
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/