{"id":493,"date":"2014-11-05T15:00:37","date_gmt":"2014-11-05T15:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/plattwarmemorial.org\/?page_id=493"},"modified":"2024-05-28T14:24:45","modified_gmt":"2024-05-28T14:24:45","slug":"james-ellis-1887-1917","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/world-war-one\/james-ellis-1887-1917\/","title":{"rendered":"Robert James Ellis (1887 &#8211; 1917)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);background-position: center center;background-repeat: no-repeat;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;margin-bottom: 0px;margin-top: 0px;border-width: 0px 0px 0px 0px;border-color:#eae9e9;border-style:solid;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-one-full fusion-column-first fusion-column-last\" style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\" style=\"background-position:left top;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-size:cover;-moz-background-size:cover;-o-background-size:cover;background-size:cover;padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px;\"><style type=\"text\/css\"><\/style><div class=\"fusion-title title fusion-title-1 fusion-sep-none fusion-title-text fusion-title-size-three\" style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:31px;margin-left:0px;\"><h3 class=\"title-heading-left fusion-responsive-typography-calculated\" style=\"margin:0;--fontSize:24;line-height:1.5;\">Gnr Robert James Ellis (1887 &#8211; 1917)<\/h3><\/div><span class=\" fusion-imageframe imageframe-dropshadow imageframe-1 hover-type-zoomin\" style=\"-webkit-box-shadow: 3px 3px 7px rgba(0,0,0,0.3);box-shadow: 3px 3px 7px rgba(0,0,0,0.3);margin-right:25px;float:left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/portrait.jpg\" class=\"fusion-lightbox\" data-rel=\"iLightbox[8564c05a642b61f0fb2]\" data-title=\"Robert James Ellis (1887 &#8211; 1917)\" title=\"Robert James Ellis (1887 &#8211; 1917)\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"220\" height=\"300\" src=\"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/portrait-220x300.jpg\" alt class=\"img-responsive wp-image-10317\" srcset=\"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/portrait-200x273.jpg 200w, http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/portrait-400x547.jpg 400w, http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/portrait-600x820.jpg 600w, http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/portrait-800x1093.jpg 800w, http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/portrait.jpg 849w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 220px\" \/><\/a><\/span><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Ellis family\u2019s connection to Platt is principally through Daisy Ellis,\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">who was<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0born in East Peckham and married Alfred Leonard Parris, who had moved to Platt from Offham. Robert, Daisy\u2019s father, was a farm labourer from Goudhurst and went with his wife Margaret Ann Ellis (n\u00e9e King) to East Peckham in the late 1880s, where Daisy\u2019s older brother, Robert James Ellis (usually known by his middle name), was born the eldest of 16 children on 2 July 1887 at The Pound.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">By 1901, the family had moved to Yalding, where young James found employment as a domestic houseboy. In 1907, his younger brother Edwin enlisted in the Royal Field Artillery, and James followed\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">in his footsteps<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0shortly afterwards. Along with Edwin, James\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">was enumerated<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0in the 1911 census at the Louisburg Barracks in Bordon, Hampshire, where he was serving as an acting bombardier with the 126th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, which was the second of four consecutively numbered batteries of the 29th Brigade.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A year later, on 6 April 1912, James married Ella Louisa Knight at the parish church in Platt with his sister Daisy and brother-in-law Len Parris witnesses. Daisy lived in Platt, and it seems likely James met Ella while staying with her. The couple subsequently had three daughters between 1913 and 1916 in Hampshire.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In the summer of 1914, James was in the Army Reserve when he\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">was called<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0back to the\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Colou<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">rs. The 29th Brigade was under the command of the 4th Division; however, upon mobilisation, James was transferred within the same division to the 14th Brigade, which was also part of the pre-war Regular Army and consisted of the 39th, 68th and 88th batteries. The Division initially held back from crossing the channel by a last-minute decision to defend England from a possible German invasion; however, when it became evident the danger had passed, this was reversed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">James sailed with the brigade from Southampton at\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">8:00 pm<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0on 22\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">August,<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0and disembarked in Le Havre at\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">11:30 am<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0the following day. A bombardier with the 68th Battery wrote in his diary that there was\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u2019a splendid reception by the people of the villages we passed through.\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">They gave us bunches of flowers, eggs\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">and wine<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0and as much fruit as we can carry.\u2019<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">By the night of 25 August, II Corps of the British Army was in full retreat from Mons and hotly pursued by the German First Army.\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The 4th Division was hastily brought forward<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, and the 14th Brigade formed part of this new force, engaging the enemy the following day when all three batteries went into action on land west of Le Cateau. Heavily outnumbered, and primarily due to the efforts of the artillery, the British managed to hold off the German advance in a heroic rearguard action before retreating themselves shortly after\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">6:00 pm<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">During September, all batteries were in action at the Battle of the Marne, which\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">brought an end to<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0the war of movement that had been in play since the start of August. The 4th Division was now attached to the III Corps, and the 14th Brigade RFA had taken up a position near Signy-Signets. The\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">brigade<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0War Diary for 8 September reads:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">3:40 am<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0moved to take up a position, 88th Battery came into action, did not fire.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">9:15\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">am<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0Marched<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0towards\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Signy-Signets<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0where\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">enemy<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">was seen<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0retiring.<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Enemy\u2019s<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0artillery opened fire on our troops at\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">11:30 a.m<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. Enemy\u2019s artillery\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">well<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0hidden.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">11:50 am<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a088th Battery opened fire.\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">This battery\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">was delayed<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0by<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a01st Line Transport of Infantry Brigade\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">which<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">was shelled<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0on\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">road<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0in front of our artillery.<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0Soon\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">afterwards<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a039th and 68th Batteries came into action and were engaged.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2 pm<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0Fire slackened\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">and<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a039th and 68th\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">were withdrawn<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0with XI Infantry Brigade behind Le Fert\u00e9 Sous\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Jouarre<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0where both batteries camped for\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">night<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Immediately following the Marne, James\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">was in action<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0again at The Battle of the Aisne between 12 and 15 September. The brigade had established positions along a line north of Venizel, with all batteries engaging the enemy throughout the four-day assault. The German Army had the advantage on the high ground, with their artillery possessing\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">a full<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0field of fire<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, whereas the<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0British artillery\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">was forced<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0to take up less suitable positions that commanded few direct views of the enemy.\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Battle of the Aisne involved high casualties on both sides, resulting<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0in little forward movement.<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0Further along the line, the French had a similar experience, with artillery, machine gun and rifle fire making it almost impossible for any direct frontal assault on the enemy\u2019s trenches without incurring severe casualties. The battle ended in stalemate and marked the start of trench warfare, with the lines established at the Aisne remaining relatively unchanged for the next four years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">For the rest of September, all batteries held their positions, which by the start of October saw the 39th and 68th Batteries northwest of Billy sur\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Aisne,<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0and the 88th, who James was likely with, at La Montaigne. Within a week, the brigade began moving north, and by 13 October, they were east of Bailleul at Fl\u00eatre. On that day, two batteries supported an attack by the 10th Infantry Brigade on the ridge east of M\u00e9teren. The day was wet and misty, giving the artillery significant problems in observing enemy activity. Bdr. Harry Sprotson of the 68th Battery wrote:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">We moved again and came into action just in front of the village of Fl\u00eatre. We have a terrible battle here, but we manage to put the Germans to fight. At dusk, we leave our guns in action and get to a farm\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">to get<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0a meal and rest.\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Very wet\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">but<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0the men\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">in<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0good spirits.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The attack at Fl\u00eatre was the first in several engagements collectively known as the Battle of Messines, which in turn was part of a series of actions that eventually decided the line of the western front collectively known as the Race to the Sea.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In the absence of<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0surviving service papers, we can only speculate precisely where James would have been over the next year. A newspaper obituary wrote that he had taken part in most battles since Mons, so he was likely involved in the 2nd Battle of Ypres in April 1915, where he would have witnessed the German\u2019s first use of poisonous gas as a weapon.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">At the start of November 1915, while based at Mailly-Maillet on the Somme, James was part of an exchange with the 125th Brigade RFA and joined \u2018C\u2019 Battery, which was eventually re-designated \u2018A<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u2019<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0Battery, 124th Brigade in June 1916. James\u2019s brother Edwin, who was also in \u2018A<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u2019<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0Battery, was killed by a shell near Arras at\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Bienvillers<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0on 29 June, with James reputedly being present at his burial.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">That autumn, James returned to the Somme and took part in the Battle of the Ancre. The following spring, the 124th was in action at the Second Battle of Arras, a British offensive between 9 April and 16 May 1917.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">On 12 April, the brigade covered an attack on Wancourt Ridge, with \u2018A<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u2019<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0Battery taking up a position near St. Martin-sur-Cojeul eight days later. On 20 April, the battery was heavily shelled and suffered 11 casualties, one of whom was James. He had survived almost three years at the Western Front when he lost his life, and his body\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">was buried<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0in the H\u00e9nin Military Cemetery Extension a few miles to the southeast of Arras.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Shortly before the start of the war, Louisa moved with her children from Farnham to Castle Malwood Lodge, situated between Cadnam and Minstead in the New Forest. Following her husband\u2019s death, she was awarded a weekly pension of 26 shillings, 3 pence, from 10 November 1917 and remarried in 1919.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>Scott Wishart<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":53,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-493","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/493","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=493"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/493\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10321,"href":"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/493\/revisions\/10321"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/53"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=493"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}