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G. Ernest Kirby


During the attack Ernest was killed, along with 2Lt E A Naish, 2Lt A J Maybrey, 2Lt L N Thornton and 2Lt F Gleave.   2Lt T A Street, 2Lt J MacDonald and 2Lt H Wilcox were wounded.   11 Other Ranks were killed, 58 wounded and 70 were posted missing.

His body was never recovered from the battlefield, or identified, and he is listed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, on Pier and Face 5A and 5B.


On 5th August 1916 the Malton Messenger reported:

MALTON OFFICER REPORTED MISSING

SECOND-LIEUT. GEORGE ERNEST KIRBY

A GALLANT CHARGE & THE SEQUEL

Much sympathy will be felt for Mrs W. Kirby, market Place, Malton and her family in their present anxiety as to the fate of Second-Lieut. George Ernest Kirby B. Sc. A.E.C.S., F.R.S.M., of the Gloucester Regiment, who is officially reported missing. The scholastic and athletic attainments of Mrs Kirby’s brilliant son are well known to Maltonians, and in these and other respects, he rapidly built up a reputation which assured for him a career of unusual distinction.

The first intimation which the mother of the young officer received from the War Office was the following telegram:
Regret to inform you that Second-Lieutenant G.E. Kirby, Gloucestershire Regiment reported missing July 22nd. This does not necessarily mean that he is wounded or killed; any further information will be reported immediately on receipt. – Secretary, War Office.

Then followed a letter from Lieut.-Col. Sutherland, the office commanding the Gloucester Regiment:
I very much regret to have to tell you that your son is missing. He was last seen on the early morning of the 23rd inst., gallantly leading his men against the German trenches. Our men were stopped by the very heavy German fire and did not gain the enemy’s trenches. I regret to say a sergeant states that he saw your son struck by a shell. Of course if I hear any further news, I will at once write you. Your son made a most gallant charge to try and take the trench. He was a splendid and brave officer and very popular with his brother officers and the men under him. May I offer you my very sincere sympathy.

Second-Lieut. George Ernest Kirby B. Sc. A.E.C.S., F.R.S.M. commenced his education at Malton National School where he won a scholarship tenable at the Municipal School, Scarborough. Returning to the National School, Malton, he gained a Training College Scholarship and proceeded to Bristol University where, after two years, he gained the degree Bachelor of Science. Moving to the Imperial College of Science and Technology, London, he obtained the diplomas “Associate of the Royal College of Science”, and “Fellow of the Royal School of Mines”. He then accepted a post on the staff of the Imperial College of Science and Technology on the recommendation of the Bristol University. He was gazetted Second-Lieutenant in the 10th Gloucestershire Regiment, August 11th 1915.

He was a fine all-round athlete and had won numerous successes on the running track. He won the 100 and 220 yards Championship of Bristol University 1912 and 1913 and 2nd in the 440 yards 1913. At the University of London Athletic Union Sports 1914 he won 1st in the 100 yards, 2nd in the 220 yards and 2nd in the 440 yards, and also had winning successes at the following athletic gatherings:- Malton, Leeds, Bradford, Glusburn, Castle Eden, Abergavenny, Cardiff etc. He was a member of the Bristol University football team and several times assisted the Malton United and Bible Class teams. In addition to numerous other trophies, he has two Bristol University silver medals and four University of London bronze medals.

Mrs Kirby is naturally awaiting further news with anxiety, and we feel sure that readers will join in the wish that it may report the safety of her brave and accomplished son.


George Ernest Kirby is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. He is also remembered on the Malton town memorial and the memorial in St Michael’s Church.





 


George Ernest Kirby was the third son of William and Priscilla (nee Lightowler)  Kirby who were married at All Saints, Falsgrave, Scarborough on 30 Jul 1882.


He was born on 19th November 1891 in Malton and baptised on 20th December 1891 at St Michael’s New Malton by Revd. G. A. Firth. William and Priscilla initially lived on Market Street, next door to the Green Man where William’s father Robert had set up his watchmaking business when he moved to Malton from Hull. William had worked for him as an apprentice and after Robert’s death took over the firm. As the firm did well and the family grew, he and Priscilla together with their eight children moved to 56 Market Place (now, part of Hopper’s).

 

1901 Census - 56 Market Place, Malton, Yorkshire, England

William Kirby, Head, Married, Male, 1844, Watchmaker, Malton, Yorkshire

Priscilla Kirby, Wife, Married, Female, 1863, -, Malton, Yorkshire

William Kirby, Son, Single, Male, 1884, Watchmaker's Apprentice, Malton, Yorkshire

Clara Kirby, Daughter, Single, Female, 1885, -, Malton, Yorkshire

Harry Kirby, Son, Single, Male, 1887, Watchmaker's Apprentice, Malton, Yorkshire

George Ernest Kirby, Son, Single, Male, 1892, -, Malton, Yorkshire

Annie Kirby, Daughter, Single, Female, 1893, -, Malton, Yorkshire

Gladys May Kirby, Daughter, Single, Female, 1895, -, Malton, Yorkshire

Florence Kirby, Daughter, Single, Female, 1897, -, Malton, Yorkshire

Albert Victor Kirby, Son, Single, Male, 1898, -, Malton, Yorkshire

 Ernest became a chorister at St Michael’s church and, to start with, attended the Malton National School, before gaining a scholarship to the prestigious Municipal School at Scarborough.


Returning to the National School, Malton, he gained a Training College Scholarship and proceeded to Bristol University where he gained the degree of Bachelor of Science.  


Moving to the Imperial College of Science and Technology, London, he was awarded the diplomas “Associate of the Royal College of Science”, and “Fellow of the Royal School of Mines” after which he joined the staff of the Imperial College of Science and Technology on the recommendation of Bristol University.  


At Bristol he had also participated enthusiastically in the wide range of sports available and this did not change when he moved to London: He was a fine all-round athlete and had won numerous successes on the running track. He won the 100 and 220 yards Championship of Bristol University 1912 and 1913 and 2nd in the 440 yards 1913. At the University of London Athletic Union Sports 1914 he won1st in the 100 yards, 2nd in the 220 yards and 2nd in the 440 yards, and also had winning successes at the following athletic gatherings:- Malton, Leeds, Bradford, Glusburn, Castle Eden, Abergavenny, Cardiff etc. He was a member of the Bristol University football team and several times assisted the Malton United and Bible Class teams. In addition to numerous other trophies, he has two Bristol University silver medals and four University of London bronze medals.”


William had died unexpectedly on Christmas Day 1905 and by 1911 Priscilla, assisted by Ernest’s older brother Harry had taken over the family business.

1911 Census - 56 Market Place Malton, Malton, Yorkshire, England

Priscilla Kirby, Head, Widow, Female, Watchmaker and Jeweller, 1863, Yorks New Malton

Harry Kirby, Son, Single, Male, Watchmaker and Jeweller, 1887, Yorks New Malton

Gladys May Kirby, Daughter, Single, Female, Dressmaker, 1895, Yorks New Malton

Florrie, Kirby Daughter, S, Female, Teacher Private School, 1897, Yorks New Malton

Albert Victor Kirby, Son, -, Male, School, 1898, Yorks New Malton


1911 census -Burythorpe York, Burythorpe, Yorkshire, England

John Henry Hudson, Head, Single, Male, Farmer, 1883, Yorks Burythorpe

Carrie Strangeway, Niece, Single, Female, Housekeeper Domestic, 1893, Yorks Burythorpe

William Brown, Servant, Single, Male, Farm Servant Waggoner On Farm, 1892, Yorks Burythorpe

George Ernest Kirby, Visitor, Single, Male, Student College, 1892, Yorks New Malton

After the outbreak of war he was gazetted Second-Lieutenant in the 10th Gloucestershire Regiment, August 11th 1915.  

His choice of regiment may well have been influenced by his time at Bristol. The 10th was a New Army Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment,formed at Bristol in September 1914 and attached  as Army Troops to 26th Division. Initially they trained on Salisbury Plain but by November 1914 they were in billets in Cheltenham. They returned to Salisbury Plain in April 1915 and in August they mobilised for transfer to France, arriving there on 8th August 1915. They were swiftly moved to the area of Loos and in September  took part in the Battle of Loos, suffering considerable casualties.

He arrived in France on 22nd March 1916 and joined the battalion in the area of Loos.


This was a mining area dotted with spoil heaps and planned villages for mine workers.  The battalion was alternating between weeks in frontline trenches at the Double Crassier (a huge pair of spoil heaps which dominated the landscape round Loos) and support in cellars in South Maroc, one of the numerous miners’ “cites” just south of Grevay.

When they were in reserve they were billetted at Les Brebis, a residential area for mine workers.

 A captain in 26 London Regiment billeted there in January 1916 wrote “We are billeted in Corons – that is a miners colony – a little village of miners cottages set out in a square round a church, managers house &c - the whole in a walled enclosure. There are 10 –20 men in each cottage. I am with a dear old couple who come from Longuenesse near Tatinghem. They cannot do enough for me. I’ve a bed very comfortable. Lloyd has a bed in my room. We mess downstairs & have a sitting room two doors down. Not at all bad.”

In May they moved a few miles west and were based in cellars at Petit Sains while serving in the front line at Calonne south of Bethune, but in June they were back at Double Crassier and the Divisional Reserve billets at Les Brebis.

The 1st Division was moved to the Somme joining the III Corps.   On 5th July The Battalion were moved from the rest billets at Barlin and sent by train to Naours. arriving at Albert on 9th July and moved up to the front line near Fricourt on the 10th.   The Battalion War Diary comments: “Moved up to the lines at the DINGLE about a mile north of FRICOURT and came into Brigade support. The ground occupied has only just been won from the enemy and was strewn with corpses between four and five hundred of which we buried”.

After tours of duty at the front and in Brigade Reserve at Becourt Wood the Battalion was moved to the front near Shelter Wood, north on Fricourt on 19th July, and engaged in digging a new line in front of Bazentin-le-Petit Wood, which had recently been taken from the Germans.   On 21st July the Battalion moved into the front line due south of Martinpuich in preparation for a Brigade attack on the "Switch Line" in front of Martinpuich, due to take place during the night of 22nd/23rd.   The attack went in at 00:30hrs on the 23rd with the Battalion on the left and the 1st Battalion Cameron Highlanders on the right.   The attack was pressed home with great determination but neither Battalion managed to reach the Switch Line, largely on account of very heavy machine-gun and rifle fire from the main German defences.   "B" Company of the Battalion did manage to seize and hold positions near the German positions which was put to good use observing the German line.