Add New Content


Please log in or register to add new content.

Login

Report Inaccuracies


Ernest George Crouch (1875-1935)


Journeyman baker rose through the ranks to command 9th DLI awarded DSO


Ernest George Crouch, the son of George and Ann Crouch, was born in Northampton in 1875. He had four sisters and they all lived in the Northampton area until he enlisted in the 1st Battalion Durham Light Infantry (DLI) in 1891. In 1893 he transferred to the 2nd Battalion in India. During the Boer War he served with the Mounted Infantry as a sergeant and was badly wounded at Lindley on 19 May 1900, when he was the only survivor of a patrol attacked by Boers. In 1903, he was promoted to colour sergeant and in 1904 he married Jessie Sutton and they had three children. In 1911 he was a permanent staff instructor to 9th DLI and in 1913 he became regimental sergeant major of the battalion.

9th DLI landed in France on 20 April 1915. Shortly afterwards he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) and on 4 November 1915 was commissioned in the field as a second lieutenant. Later he became adjutant and in August 1916 was made second-in-command to Roland Bradford (one of the ‘Bradford Boys). In June 1917 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) and in July was promoted to acting lieutenant-colonel in command of a battalion of the Border Regiment. He was twice mentioned in despatches and for a few months was also temporary lieutenant-colonel attached to the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry when he was again mentioned in despatches. Later he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and attached to the 9th Battalion Durham Light Infantry as commanding officer. In 1919 the French Government awarded him the Legion of Honour. He retired on 8 February 1921 and spent his remaining years in Gateshead, where he died in 1935.

The award of the DCM was gazetted on 4 June 1916 and the citation reads:

“Always displaying great coolness, courage and devotion to duty and giving a fine example to all ranks”

Ernest Crouch’s medals are part of the DLI Medal Collection:
http://dlicollection.durham.gov.uk/pgMedalSummary.aspx?&BioId=6076&BioSurname=Crouch&AZ=Y

The papers of Ernest Crouch of his time with the DLI are to be found at Durham County Record Office (D/DLI 7/154/1-13 and D/DLI 2/9/33-243):
http://www.durhamrecordoffice.org.uk/article/10527/Search-the-Catalogue

Civil Parish: Gateshead

Birth date: 1875

Death date: 1-Jun-1935

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: 1 Russell Terrace, Northampton (1881 Census)
47 Overstone Road, Northampton (1891 Census)
Tournay Barracks, Farnborough, Hampshire (1901 Census)
319 Rectory Road, Gateshead (1911 Census)
8 Ashgrove Terrace, Gateshead (England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1935)

Employment: Journeyman Baker (1891 Census)

Family: Father: George Crouch
Mother: Ann Crouch (nee Riseley)
Siblings: Sarah, Annie, Ada Jane & Edith Mary Crouch
Wife: Jessie Crouch (nee Sutton)
Children: George Rigby, Richard Ernest & Jessie Louise Crouch

Military service:

9th Battalion Durham Light Infantry
Regimental number: 4278
Regimental Sergeant-Major
Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
Lieutenant Colonel

Medal(s): Pre-First World War
Queen’s South Africa Medal; Cape Colony (1899-02), Dreifontein (1900) and Transvall (1900-02) bars
King’s South Africa Medal; 1901 and 1902 bars

Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Conduct Medal
Mentioned in Despatches (3)
1914-1915 Star
British War Medal
Victory Medal
Legion d’Honneur

Long Service and Good Conduct

Gender: Male

Contributed by John Edwards

Comments on this story


Comment

There are no comments on this story yet.