Sergeant Ernest George Keen
| Date of Birth | c. 1895 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 23 |
| Date of Death | 8 September 1918 |
| Service Number | 9630 |
| Military Service | 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Rifles |
| Merton Address | 2 Grange Villas, Locks Lane |
| Local Memorial | St. Mark's Church, Mitcham |
Additional Information
Ernest was born in Beddington and baptised at St Mary’s Church on 3 March 1895. His father was a Carman for a Market Gardener and his mother, Louisa, had her hands full with eight children, one of whom unfortunately died young.
Ernest and his siblings, Dorothy, Maud, Frederick, David, Alice, Arthur and Winnie moved to 2 Grange Villas, Locks Lane Mitcham and by the time of the 1911 census only Frederick, Ernest, David, Arthur and Winnie were living at home.
Ernest’s mother, Louisa was Irish and Ernest joined the Royal Irish Rifles.
He was injured in the summer of 1916 and again early in 1918 and he was killed in action on 8 September 1918. By the time of his death he was a Sergeant and he is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial in Belgium and in St Mark’s Church, Mitcham.
By 1918, Ernest’s mother had been widowed and had moved to Woodhouse Farm in Todmorden.