The Royal British Legion
Staple Branch
Charity Number 219279
Ernest George Cox
Died around 3rd - 5th September 1918 Aged 21
2nd Battalion, The Royal Fusilliers
Ernest Cox was born in 1896 in Preston. By 1911 he was 15 and living in Staple with his parents at Thatch Cottage. He joined the Royal Fusiliers in 1916. The Fusiliers had suffered heavy losses at Gallipoli and Ernest was part of the reinforcement sent to France when they returned via Marseilles. The 2nd Battalion, with Ernest, saw a great deal of fighting during 1917 being invoilved in the Arras Offensive and at least 4 major battles of the Third Battle of Ypres, the nightmare which became known as Passchendaele.
In 1918 the Battalion had fought at Estaires, Messines, Hazebrouk and Ballieul in the push for Lys. Ernest was a battle-hardened survivor when, on 3rd September, the Battalion arrived at Ploegstreet Wood and were sent to organise a system of shell hole defensive positions in what was described as "Very heavey shelling".
Ernest was one of 6 missing during this action and was never found. It was 9 weeks before the end of the war.
With 11,369 others with no known grave who died in this sector alone, Ernest Cox's name is inscribed on the beautifal Ploegstreet Memorial.
Ploegsteert Memorial