Ernest Carpenter
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Ernest was born on 3rd March 1893 at Hucknall Torkard and was the son of John a colliery deputy and Harriet Carpenter née Hopkinson. His father John was born 1855 in Longford, Warwickshire and his mother was born in 1858 in Blidworth,Nottinghamshire, their marriage was recorded in the Basford Registration area in 1884 and they went on to have six children , James Carey b1887, Lilian 1889, Wallace b1891, Ernest b1893, Elsie Alice b1897 and Frank b1900, all the children were born in Hucknall. In 1911 they lived at 36 Co-operative Avenue Hucknall Torkard Nottinghamshire and are shown as John 56 yrs head of the family, a colliery deputy, he is living with his wife Harriett 53 yrs and their children , James Carey 24 yrs a clerk, Lillian a milliner, Ernest 18 yrs a law clerk, Elsie Alice 14 yrs a scholar and Frank 11 yrs also a scholar. His probate was proven in Nottingham on 4th February and shows him as Ernest Carpenter of 36 Cooperative Ave,Hucknall Torkard , Lieutenant in His majesties Army died on or since 3rd October 1918 in France or Belgium and his effects of £515 4shillings and 3 pence were left to his brother James carey Carpenter a commercial clerk.
He served with the Worcestershire Regiment and then with 24th Squadron Royal Air Force. He obtained his Royal Aero Club Aviators certificate on 26th November 1916 at London and Provincial School, Hendon taken on an L & P Biplane By October 1918 Lieutenant Ernest Carpenter had been a qualified pilot for nearly two years but, prior to his posting to 24 Squadron, Royal Air Force, the previous month he had no combat experience, being a ferry pilot. Two of his brothers were already prisoners of war when he took off at 8.40 a.m. on 3rd October 1918 in his SE5a scout from the airfield at Cappy on the Somme. He didn’t return. It isn’t absolutely certain what happened to Ernest Carpenter but it seems likely that he was unfortunate enough to come across a German ‘ace’ pilot, Kurt Ungewitter. Ungewitter, of Jasta 24, had been flying since before the war and was a much more experienced fighter pilot. Ernest Carpenter’s body was never found and he is commemorated on the Arras Memorial to the missing.
His two brothers who also served were Sgt. Wallace Carpenter who had been captured with the Seaforth Highlanders on 23rd March 1918; and Lieutenant Frank Carpenter, a DH9a pilot with 98 Squadron, RAF, had been captured following engine failure just behind the lines on 9th August 1918.
