Person

Ernest Hunter was born in Oxhill in 1891. His father was coal miner William Hunter (1851) from Felling. His mother was Hannah Hunter nee Ritson (1854), a colliery inspector’s daughter from Amble, Northumberland. His parents married around 1871 and had 13 children of whom two died in infancy. Of the 11 surviving children seven were boys and four were girls.

At the time of the 1891 census Ernest and his family lived at The Hill, Kyo. By 1901 they were living at 1 Sandhole Row, Oxhill. In 1911 Ernest was working as a putter in a coal mine and still living with his parents in Amble House, Oxhill. Ernest married Hannah Emma Hunter nee Allister in 1914. A daughter, who they named Hannah Emma Hunter after her mother, was born on 6 May 1915.

Ernest and his older brother Vender appear to have spent their entire war service together. They both enlisted in the Durham Light Infantry in Stanley on 8 September 1914. They were posted to the 12th Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) as privates and their service numbers were only one digit apart as 18509 and 18507 respectively. They moved to camp in the south of England and both were charged with overstaying their pass until 12.30pm on 3 January 1915 for which they forfeited pay and were confined to barracks for 10 days.

The two brothers both landed in France on 26 August 1915 where 12 DLI spent the rest of 1915 and early 1916 in and out of the trenches near Armentieres and Souchez. On 26 January 1916 the brothers were resting with three comrades in a dugout when a German high explosive shell landed on the dugout roof killing all five. Vender and Ernest are buried side by side in X Farm Cemetery, La Chapelle D’Armentieres, Nord, France. They are remembered locally in the Book of Remembrance 1914-18, St Andrew’s Church, Stanley.

Ernest Hunter was awarded the 1914-15 Star, the Victory Medal and the British War Medal for his service in World War One. At the time they were notified of Ernest’s death his wife and child were living at 28 Front Street, Leadgate. His widow received a war gratuity of £5 10s 0d and a sum of £3 0s 9d as well as her husband’s effects. She was awarded a pension of 15s 0d for herself and daughter with effect from 14 August 1916. She married William Bell in 1918.

As well as his bother, Vender, a second brother, Peter, also fell during the First World War. Peter enlisted in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) on 15 January 1915 and was drafted to the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (MEF) on 28 June 1915. He joined 4 Platoon of the Anson Battalion, Royal Naval Division (RND) on 18 July 1915. Whilst serving in operations against the Dardanelles he suffered a wound on 13 August 1915 which led to amoebic dysentery and his death on the hospital ship Aquitania on 20 October 1915.

A football match between Annfield Plain and West Stanley was held on Good Friday 1916 for the benefit of the three Hunter brothers who fell on active service.

Civil Parish: Oxhill

Birth date: 1891

Death date: 26-Jan-1916

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: The Hill, Kyo (1891 census)
1 Sandhole Row, Oxhill (1901 census)
Amble House, Oxhill (1911 census)

Family: Parents: William Hunter (1851), Hannah Hunter nee Ritson (1854)
Siblings: Catherine Hunter (1876), Wilson Ritson Hunter (1877), William Hunter (1879), Joseph Hunter (1882), Meggie Hunter (1884), Vender Hunter (1885), Peter Hunter (1888), Unity Hunter (1893), Lillian Hunter (1896), George Hunter (1898)
Spouse: Hannah Emma Hunter nee Allister (1896)
Children: Hannah Emma Hunter (1915)

Military service:

18509
Private
Durham Light Infantry
12th Battalion

Medal(s): 1914-15 Star
Victory Medal
British War Meda

Memorial(s): X Farm Cemetery, La Chappell D’Armentieres, Nord, France (Grave 18 Row G)
Book of Remembrance 1914-18, St Andrew’s Church, Stanley

Gender: Male

Contributed by David D, Stanley, Co Durham