Four Ellis Brothers, 1884–1918
Killed in Action Great War
Originally from Ludlow, James and Elizabeth Ellis had 13 children. Four were destined to die in the Great War:
William served as a lance corporal in the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry. He was killed during the expedition to Salonica in 1917.
Frederick moved to Liverpool and sought a career at sea. He served briefly in the army and was recalled at the outbreak of war. He was killed in Ypres in 1916 trying to rescue a wounded officer.
David served with the 1st Battalion of the Herefordshire Regiment in Egypt. He was killed in action at the battle of Tel El Khuweilfeh in what was then Southern Palestine in 1917.
Leonard served with the 13th Battalion of the Kings Liverpool Regiment in France. He was killed in 1918 when the position he was holding was overrun during the German Spring offensive.
William Ellis, 1884–1917
William worked as a General Dealer, apparently a ‘rag-and-bone’ man or scrap merchant. In 1908 he married Ada Wright and the couple would go on to have four children.
During the war William served in the 2nd Battalion of the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry and was promoted to Lance Corporal. The battalion was deployed to Salonika in December 1915, and took part in a number of actions against the Bulgarian Army.
William Ellis was killed on Thursday 26 April 1917 and was buried at the Salonika (Lembet Road) Military Cemetery, Greece.
Frederick Ellis, 1891–1917
Frederick moved from Leominster to Liverpool and after a short period at sea joined the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry at Copthorne Barracks in Shrewsbury. However he returned to working at sea in 1912.
At the outbreak of war Fred was recalled to the 1st Battalion King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. This Battalion was deployed on the Western Front throughout the conflict, serving in the Ypres sector for the first two years of the war.
Early on the 21st April 1916 the Germans mounted a strong attack on an area of the Ypres Salient known as Morteldje Estaminet. The KSLI were ordered into the line to carry out a counter-attack that evening, and this developed into an intense local battle. In the course of the fighting on the 22nd Fred performed one of the many heroic actions recorded that day. An officer had been badly wounded in the arm, Fred was in the act of giving him a drink when he was shot in the head and killed instantly. He was recommended for a medal for this action, but it seems it was not awarded.
David Ellis, 1893–1917
David worked as a ‘General Dealer’, and joined the army in 1915. He served with the 1st Battalion of the Herefordshire Regiment, spending 18 months in Egypt, and was in action on several occasions. He once had to be dug out of the sand in which he had been buried by a shell.
He was killed in action at the battle of Tel El Khuweilfeh in what was then Southern Palestine on the 6th November 1917. He was 24 years old, and buried at Beersheba War Cemetery (Israel).
Leonard Ellis, 1899–1918
When he was old enough Leonard was called up and served with the 13th Battalion of the Kings Liverpool Regiment in France. He was killed on 21 March 1918 when the position he was holding was overrun during the German Spring offensive. He was 19 years old.
His body was not recovered and he is commemorated on the Arras Memorial to the missing, France.
