Woburn Paul Posted 7 April , 2011 Share Posted 7 April , 2011 I am researching LIEUTENANT ERNEST ARTHUR HEBBES. Born in 1876, at Great Catworth, Huntingdon, he was the fourth son of Henry and Elizabeth Hebbes. He died 28th November 1917, returning on the SS Apapa for leave, after being in Africa for a year, when it was torpedoed by U-boat U-96. The sinking is well covered on this site, but I am interested to know what and where he would have been in Africa as regretfully his army service papers have not survived, He was with the Nigeria Regiment, 4th Battalion, Royal West African Frontier Force. (Attached from Suffolk Regiment, 4th Battalion Territorials) From the report of his death, Ernest was closely connected to the church and also the Unionist party. He worked as an election agent for the Unionist candidate in a previous election, and acted as agent in the Isle of Wight, where the Unionists took the Liberal seat of Sir E. J. Seeley. He was gazetted in 1915, and sent to West Africa for "...special Government work" (which sounds a bit interesting...) in October of 1916. Ernest was said to have seen much action in West Africa. He is listed on the Hollybrook Memorial, Southampton. Listed on the Woburn Sands Memorial, and also two memorials in Lowestoft, those of St Margarets and St Johns. Any comments, help or leads appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushfighter Posted 8 April , 2011 Share Posted 8 April , 2011 Paul Greetings. Using the Official History of the West African campaigns, and working within your time frame, 4th Nigeria Regiment was involved in: April 1915. Operations around Yola & Bogole. May 1915. Bilonde and Yola areas and the German surrender at Garua. July 1915. Southern Provinces of Nigeria on garrison duty. 4th Nigeria Regiment seems to have been broken up a lot with companies employed on detached duties or else attached to other units. Ernest may well have been employed elsewhere on political or other duties in occupied territory. His name does not appear in the Official History nor in the History of the Royal West African Frontier Force. Good Luck Harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woburn Paul Posted 8 April , 2011 Author Share Posted 8 April , 2011 Thank you Harry, anything's of use, even if it's to discount something! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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