BORN HULL 1890. ELDEST SON OF WILLIAM FILBY (1864-1957) & PRISCILLA PICKERING (1866-1946), OF 17, ESCOURT STREET, NEWBRIDGE ROAD, HULL (WAR PENSION ADDRESS). ONE OF EIGHT CHILDREN, LIVING AT 72 ROSMEAD STREET, HULL (1911 CENSUS). HE HAD SIX BROTHERS AND ONE SISTER.
ERNEST’S FIRST JOB, AGED 16, WAS FOR G. ELVIN & CO, PRINTERS AND STATIONERS. HE LATER WORKED AS A LABOURER FITTER AT EARLES SHIP YARD.
HE ENLISTED IN HULL AND JOINED THE 161ST ROYAL FIELD ARTILLERY, AS A DRIVER, ON 13/07/1917.
HE DIED OF WOUNDS ON 13/07/1917, AGED 27. HE IS BURIED IN BELGIUM. (Medals Awarded British War Medal and Victory Medal Regiment or Corps Royal Artillery (Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery) Regimental Number L/15775 Sub Unit Royal Field Artillery Previous Units R.F.A. L/15775 Dvr)
ERNEST WAS UNMARRIED AND HIS ARMY EFFECTS WERE LEFT JOINTLY TO HIS PARENTS.
HIS BROTHERS, GEORGE WILLIAM FILBY (LABOUR CORPS) AND WILFRED FILBY (NAVY) ALSO SERVED .
The full address for Ernest Filby’s grave is Adinkerke, Arrondissement Veurne, West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen), Belgium. His brother George William Filby (1892 to 1964) served in the Labour Corps and his brother Wilfred Filby (1896 to 1971) served in the Navy.
Many Thanks to “Neill Potts” – neill@neilluk.karoo.co.uk – for all the photographs of Private, Ernest Filby sent on 07/01/2017. They show Ernest in his Royal Field Artillery uniform: his employment around the age of 16: a photo when he was aged approx 21: and believed to be his last letter home before been deployed to Flanders and France. The family photo, taken around 1914 or earlier includes: Back row left to right. Francis Filby (Royal Field Artillery), Ernest Filby (Royal Horse Artillery) & George William Filby (Labour Corps).
Centre row left to right. Wilfred Filby (Royal Navy), Annie May Filby, Priscilla Filby (nee Pickering) holding baby Stanley Filby & William Filby. Front row. Frederick Rupert Filby.
http://person.ancestry.co.uk/tree/107237118/person/400057822784/facts
