Herbert Ernest Watkin
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Herbert Ernest was born at Rothwell, Leeds, the second son of Robert Henry Humphrey Watkin and Mary Ann Watkin (née Bruce). His father Robert was born in 1862 at Newark, Nottinghamshire, the son of John and Mary Watkin. By 1871, John, a painter and gilder, his wife and their six children had moved to Leeds where they lived on Sheepscar Street. His mother Mary Ann Bruce was born in 1865 at Heckmondwike, Yorkshire. John and Mary were married on 25th May 1885 at All Saints Church, Batley, near Leeds, and had four children who were all born in Hunslet, Rothwell: Leonard Oswald, b1886, Herbert Ernest b1888, Bruce b1894 (d. 1912) and Gordon b1897. Robert, a painter and decorator, his wife and their four sons were living at 18 Commercial Street, Rothwell, Leeds, in 1901 and were at the same address in 1911 when only their two youngest sons, Bruce a general labourer (surface, colliery), and Gordon a car cleaner, were still living at home. Leonard had married Elsie Hudson in 1908 and they had four children: Amy b. 1909, Bruce b. 1912, John b. 1914 and Stanley b. 1916. Leonard, a goods guard, his wife and their daughter Amy were living in Hunslet in 1911. Herbert had married Alice Buckley (b. 1882 Doncaster) in 1906 (Sheffield Registration District). In 1901, Alice Buckley (18), a domestic servant, was living at 87 Commercial Street, Rothwell, with her married sister Martha Dickinson, her husband William and their one year old daughter Doris. Herbert and Alice had three children; Norman born September 1906, Elsie May born June 1910 and Ellen born August 1913. In 1911 the family was living at 8 Jail Yard, Commercial Street, Rothwell, Leeds, and shown as Herbert Ernest 22 yrs a colliery general labourer, his wife Alice 27 yrs and their two children, Norman 4 yrs and Elsie 10 months. Herbert's mother Mary Ann died in 1914. His father Robert was still living at 18 Commercial Road in 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled. Also in the household was his widowed son, Leonard, a railway goods guard, and his grandson Stanley, a copper drawer. Robert may have died in 1951. The WW1 pension record card shows that Herbert and his wife had separated and Alice was described on the record as the guardian of his children. Alice was living at 20 East Street, Batley, Doncaster. She was awarded a pension of 10 shillings and 6 pence a week for her three children; payment commenced on 29th May 1916. In 1921, Alice, her three children and two adults, Doris Dickinson and George Richard Bunce, were living together in Doncaster, probably at 20 East Street as this was was still Alice's address in 1939. Alice's children had left home by 1939 but in the household was George Adams (b. 1873), single, retired railway wagon painter. Elsie (unm.) was living in Doncaster with George Richard Bunce, a locomotive driver, and his wife Doris (née Dickinson, m. 1925), who was Elsie's cousin, while Norman (unm.), an unemployed house painter, was living in a lodging/boarding house, also in Doncaster. The youngest child, Ellen, has not yet been traced after 1921. Alice died in 1959 (reg. Doncaster).
The 9th (Service) Battalion Sherwood Foresters was raised at Derby in August 1914, a battalion of Kitchener's First New Army, and came under orders of 33rd Brigade, 11th (Northern) Division. After final training in England, the battalion was posted to the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and embarked at Liverpool at the beginning of July 1915 for Gallipoli via Malta and Alexandria. The battalion landed at Suvla Bay on 6/7 August 1915. The Division withdrew from Gallipoli on 19/20 December that year for Imbros and then Egypt in February 1916. The Division moved to France in July the same year. Gallipoli, 21 August 1915: The battalion attacked at 3 pm on 21st August 1915 to take advantage of the low sun blinding the Turks. Instead, a mist enveloped the area and the enemy trenches could not be seen. The Commander-in-Chief wanted a postponement of 24 hours but this did not happen. Lieutenant Scothern of the 9th Battalion described the advance, 'After a slight bombardment, an advance was made across the open (ground), south of Salt Lake towards Hetman Chair in artillery formation' The seven officers and 300 other ranks left in the battalion were ordered to advance and take the communication trench at all costs and again Scothern also wrote, 'The orders as far as can be ascertained, were to half left form on passing the original trenches dug near the orchard in the vicinity of Hetman Chair' What was left of the battalion was further decimated and Herbert was one of the men killed; the battalion's CO, Lt Col Bosanquet, was also killed. Lieutenant Scothern was promoted captain and appointed adjutant (Gallipoli) and later promoted lieutenant colonel and appointed in command of the 9th Battalion. Herbert has no known grave and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Turkey/Gallipoli (Panel 151 to 153). John Morse
WMR 22066 Hunslet War Memorial. St Mary’s Church, Church Street, Hunslet, Leeds LS10 3PU. The church is redundant and partly demolished. The memorial is a free standing cross adjacent to the church. The memorial lists names by year, then initial, surname and regiment. From an on-line photograph, although the Inscription is badly worn, Watkin’s name is not evident on the memorial although his father lived in the area until at least 1939. Military records: Herbert's surname appears in military records as both Watkin (WW1 Pension Ledger, Medal Rolls Index Card) and Watkins (Registers of Soldiers' Effects, UKSDGW). The Medal Rolls index card for Herbert E Watkin (12656) records only the award of the British War Medal and Victory Medal but the card is annotated 'See Watkins HE' (not traced). The WW1 Pension Ledgers record has his date of death as 9 August 1915 while the Registers of Soldiers' Effects noted the date of death as 'on or since 21 August death presumed.' UKSDGW recorded his place of birth as Newark upon Trent. Registers of Soldiers' Effects: Herbert's legatee was named as James Webster (no other information); one payment in March 1917 was cancelled but two payments were made to him in March 1919 and April 1920.
