30 December 1917 :  Battery Sergeant Ernest George Harlock

Ernest Harlock was born 24 October 1885 Beach Farm, near Alton, Hampshire.

Location of Alton in Hampshire in the south of England (cc OpenStreetMap) 

Colourisation of the original black and white photograph of Ernest Harlock by Calian Chevin.  

Ernest's father was John (carter on a farm) and Emily Harlock. The family lived on a farm with all the family, in due course, engaged as carters or agricultural labourers. 

Age 15 in at the 1901 Census, Ernest was at home his parents and siblings: William (born 1882), Frederick (1885) carter, John (1887), Walter (1888), Louisa (1891) and Reginald (1893).

The image shows the Royal FielArtillery on parade at the Artillery Barracks in Colchester, c1914 (c) Jess Jephcott

At the Census of 1911 we find the 25 year old Ernest in barracks with The Royal Artillery, Colchester.

On 15 September 1914 Ernest was twice wounded when his battery was in action. He stayed at his post despite orders to report to hospital.

3 December 1914 from King George V at Merris, France (C) The Royal Collection of HM Queen Elizabeth II (2016)

Sergeant Harlock received the award of Victoria Cross on 3 December 1914 from King George V at Merris, France.

In January 1917 he married Ethel M Hasted and they lived at 5 Fitzalan Road, Littlehampton, later moving to Black Horse Cottage, Glymping.  

Loss of HM Transport Aragon in the Mediterranean  (30 December 1915)

Ernest was drowned on 30 December 1917 when RMS Aragon was torpedoed ten miles off Alexandria, Egypt. His body was recovered, one of only 610 out of 2,500 on board. 

Pension Card from The Western Front Association digital archive on Fold3 by Ancestry

42617 Battery Sergeant Ernest George Harlock, 113th Battery, RFA.

Died at sea 1917

Ash Shatibi, Al Iskandariyah, Egypt

Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery © CWGC 2021

He was buried Hadra War Memorial Cemetery

Commemorated: headstone, two memorials in St.John’s Church, Hampshire; name on Littlehampton War Memorial, West Sussex; Memorial in the Garrison church in St. George’s, Woolwich and medals with the Royal Artillery. 

British Army 42617 Bombardier Royal Field Artillery 25th Brigade

British Army 42617 Warrant Officer Class 2 Royal Field Artillery 25th Brigade

British Army 42617 Battery Serjeant Major Royal Field Artillery General Base Depot, (E.E.F.)

Sources: Name: The London Gazette, published 24 November 1914; Lives of the First World War IWM; UK Pension Ledgers and Cards from The Western Front Association digital archive on Fold3 by Ancestry; UK, Commonwealth War Graves Index; 1891, 1901, 1911 England Census Returns. 

Postcard: The Colchester Archaeologist