No. 51369   2nd Battalion Manchester Regiment, who died on 7th September 1917 aged 35.

Ernest is buried at Coxyde Military Cemetery, Belgium.

Born Bredfield 1883, son of William and Emma Lanham, and husband of Annie Lanham.

Died whilst serving in the trenches near Nieuport, Belgium.

Before the war he worked as a farm labourer.

Personal details

Ernest’s parents were William Lanham (B. Hoo 1841-1911) and Emma Lanham (nee Hatcher), [B. Otley, 1840-1911].  His original given name Albert Ernest Lanham, and he appears in the census records as Albert E Lanham. He was their youngest child, having older brother Victor Albert [B.Otley 1871], and older sisters Harriet Louisa [B. Helmingham, 1873], Annie [B. Helmingham, c1877] Mary Ann [B. Eyke, 1880].

Albert was born in Bredfield, but the family is recorded in Hasketon in the 1891 Census, and in Burgh by in the 1901 Census. 

Ernest married Annie Turner [B. Woodbridge June 1887] in 1911, and sometime later they moved to Sidcup in Kent. They do not appear to have had any children.

After Ernest’s death Annie married William Webb in Spring 1919. In 1921 they were living with Wlliams parents near Sidcup.

War service.

Ernest was living in Sidcup, Kent when he enlisted and joined the East Kent Regiment. There is no information on which Battalion he joined.  His enlistment place is given as Ipswich.  Later he joined the 2nd Battalion of the Manchester Regiment. 

In the Medal Rolls Index Cards he is listed as being awarded the British and Victory medals.  His Army Service records are not available and are presumed lost.

In late August the 2nd Battalion of the Manchester Regiment moved to the LOMBARTZYDE sector (Nieuport) in Belgium.  There are no deaths recorded in the regimental diary on September 7th 1917, but 2 days earlier an Officer and 10 other ranks were killed by shell fire whilst in the frontline trenches. It’s possible Ernest was injured in this attack and died from wounds, or died by other means at this time.

Extract from the 2nd Manchester Regimental Diary.