Redditch remembers: Ernest who fell in retaliatory attack from the Germans - The Redditch Standard

Redditch remembers: Ernest who fell in retaliatory attack from the Germans

Redditch Editorial 3rd Dec, 2017   0

REDDITCH man Ernest Porthouse died aged 21 as the Battle of Cambrai in northern France entered a new phase 100 years ago this week.

He was serving with the Royal Field Artillery in ‘B’ Battery of the 306th Brigade, a territorial unit which was part of the 61st Division.

His unit had taken part in the stunning first day successes on November 20, 1917, when the British launched a massive attacked against the German’s Hindenburg Line at Cambrai.

Infantry, supported by massed artillery and more than 300 tanks, made stunning gains against the enemy, covering five miles in just six miles, an astonishing achievement by World War 1 standards.




The gains were so great the bells were rung through Britain in celebration.

However the attack soon petered out and on November 30, the day Ernest died, the Germans launched a major counter-attack using ‘stormtrooper’ tactics.


This involved a short intensive bombardment followed by an attack in squads rather than in a broad wave of soldiers.

These bypassed strongpoints to push on the attack.

The German attack was a major success and only the arrival of nightfall and tanks stemmed the British from suffering further losses.

Ernest had been born in 1897, the son of Felix Aber, a needlemaker and Elizabeth Porthouse.

The couple had nine children and lived on Evesham Road, Redditch.

When Felix died in 1899 Elizabeth was left to bring the family up on her own.

By the time he was 14 Ernest was helping her by working as a cycle repairer before going on to join the war effort.

It is not known how he died, but he is buried at the Orival Wood Cemetery at Flesquieres, five kilometres south west of Cambrai and is remembered to day on the St Luke’s War Memorial at Headless Cross.

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