BORN HULL 04/07/1890. SON OF CHARLES WILLIAM JOULES (1847-1919) & MARY ANN BUTLER (1851-1918), OF 14 HARCOURT STREET. ONE OF THIRTEEN CHILDREN, SEVERAL OF WHICH DIED IN INFANCY. THE FAMILY ALSO LIVED AT 61 ABBEY STREET, HOLDERNESS ROAD, HULL (1911 CENSUS). HE WAS A FORMER BLACKSMITH & SHOE SMITH.
HE ENLISTED IN HULL. JOINING THE 1ST EAST RIDING FIELD COMPANY, ROYAL ENGINEERS. HE WAS KILLED BY CONCUSSION FROM A SHELL BURST, WHICH ALSO KILLED SAPPER, HUMPHRIES. THEY WERE DOING DIFFICULT TRENCH WORK. HE DIED ON 03/03/1916, AGED 25 AND IS BURIED AT SPOILBANK CEMETERY, BELGIUM. (On 20/09/1915 • Ypres, Belgium, The 529th Field Company of Royal Engineers (1/1st East Riding) joined the British 3rd Infantry Division. It is possible that Ernest took some part in the Second Attack on Bellewaarde in support of the opening attack in the Battle of Loos.)
HE HAD A TWIN BROTHER WALTER WHO SURVIVED THE WAR. HOWEVER, HIS TWO OTHER BROTHERS, SIDNEY & HERBERT JOULES, WERE KILLED LATER IN THE WAR. ERNEST RECEIVED A MOVING TRIBUTE FROM HIS COMMANDING OFFICER & COMRADES WHO DESCRIBED HIM AS “CHEERFUL AND FULL OF LIFE”.
ERNEST HAD RECENTLY RECEIVED A MOUTH ORGAN FROM HIS FATHER WHO WORKED FOR THE HULL CORPORATION. ERNEST OFTEN ENTERTAINED THE TROOPS ON THE MARCH WITH POPULAR TUNES. ONE OF THREE SONS LOST IN THE WAR. ALL FOUR BROTHERS WERE PHOTOGRAPHED TOGETHER IN THE HULL DAILY MAIL PRINTED ON THE 14TH MARCH 1916 WHEN ERNEST’S DEATH WAS REPORTED. * THEIR PARENTS DIED SOON AFTER THE WAR. HIS TWIN BROTHER, WALTER, ALSO SERVED IN THE ROYAL ENGINEERS. HE NEVER RECOVERED FROM THE WAR AND DIED IN A DRIVING ACCIDENT WHILE DRUNK IN 1921, AGED 31. ANOTHER BROTHER, HERBERT JOULES (1884-1941), SERVED IN THE 11TH EAST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT. THEY LEFT SISTERS FANNY, EDIE, LILLIAN, AND FLORENCE.
