BORN DRIFFIELD 09/04/1885. SON OF ELIZA JANE WAITES & GEORGE WILLIAM THOMPSON RANSOM, OF, 46, MIDDLETON STREET (1911 CENSUS) AND 8, PARK AVENUE, PERRY STREET, HULL (ARMY ADDRESS). ONE OF TWELVE CHILDREN (SEVEN BROTHERS AND FOUR SISTERS). HE WAS EMPLOYED AS A FRENCH POLISHER. DESCRIBED AS 5 FOOT, 1.5 INCHES TALL, 32-34.5 INCH CHEST, 103 LBS WEIGHT
HE MARRIED AT ST MATHEWS CHURCH, ST GEORGES ROAD, HULL, ON 24/05/1915. HIS WIFE ALICE MAY (ARNOLD), LIVED AT 23, NEWINGTON STREET, HULL. (HIS ARMY ADDRESS)
HE ENLISTED IN HULL ON 10/12/1915. ARRIVED FRANCE, ON 14/10/1916. KILLED IN ACTION, ON 23/08/1917, AGED 32. HE HAD SERVED IN THE ARMY FOR 1 YEAR AND 257 DAYS.
HIS WIDOW DIED OF TUBERCULOSIS, ON 20/09/1917, AGED 23. THEY HAD NO CHILDREN. HIS ARMY EFFECTS WERE LEFT TO HIS WIDOWED, MOTHER, ELIZA JANE RANSOM.
HE IS COMMEMORATED AT YPRES AND ON ST MATTHEWS CHURCH WWW1 MEMORIAL, WITH HIS BROTHER, PRIVATE, WILLIAM RANSON, QUEENS WEST SURREY REGIMENT, WHO DIED.OF WOUNDS, ON 22/04/1917, AGED 34.
THE WAR RECORDS REVEAL SOME TOUCHING LETTERS FROM MRS RANSOM REQUESTING ERNEST’S EFFECTS, WHICH WERE FORWARDED TO HIS WIDOWS’ FATHER INSTEAD, MR WILLIAM ARNOLD, AT 23, AIRLIE STREET. SHE REQUESTED HER SONS BLOODY IDENTITY DISC AS A MEMORY.
MRS RANSOM HAD SIX SONS SERVING IN FRANCE AND TWO WERE KILLED.
