Corporal Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corr ...

Ernest Hayes (16 April 1898 – 19 February 1938) was a soldier in the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

. He was awarded the Military Medal (MM) three times for his conduct in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and was one of only 180 men out of 115,600 to be awarded the Medal three times for his actions during the conflict.

Early life

Ernest Hayes was born on 16 April 1898, in

Cotgrave Cotgrave () is a Town#United Kingdom, town and civil parish in the borough of Rushcliffe in Nottinghamshire, England. It is 5 miles (8 km) south-east of Nottingham. It perches on the South Nottinghamshire Wolds about 131 feet (40 metres) ...

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated ''Notts.'') is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county is bordered by South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Th ...

Military career

Hayes enlisted with the

King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) was a Light infantry, light infantry regiment of the British Army. It officially existed from 1881 to 1968, but its predecessors go back to 1755. In 1968, the regiment was amalgamated with the Somers ...

, also known as the KOYLI, in 1916. After initial training in England, he was then transferred to the Western front in France. During his time there, he took part in several major battles. He was awarded his first MM on 13 March 1918. In ''

The London Gazette ''The London Gazette'', known generally as ''The Gazette'', is one of the official journals of record or government gazettes of the Government of the United Kingdom, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, i ...

'' it reads: "203928 Pte. E. Hayes, Yorks. L.I. (Cotgrave)". His second MM was awarded for his part in securing the

Sambre The Sambre () is a river in northern France and in Wallonia, Belgium. It is a left-bank tributary of the Meuse, which it joins in the Wallonian capital Namur. The source of the Sambre is near Le Nouvion-en-Thiérache, in the Aisne department. ...

canal on 4 November 1918. The citation from the Army for his actions that day reads as:

"No. 203928 Cpl. E. Hayes:- For gallantry & devotion to duty during the successful attack on the Sambre canal, S.W. of Landrecies on the 4th of November 1918. In the face of an intense enemy artillery & machine gun barrage he led his Lewis gun section forward through very close country with great skill, onto his objective. On arrival there he consolidated his post & for some hours kept his gun team in action under heavy enemy fire. He was utterly regardless of personal danger & his calm method of picking up target after target had a most inspiring effect on the men in his post & other posts in his vicinity".

This was dated 26 November 1918. His first bar was awarded in 1919 and is mentioned in the London Gazette on 23 July 1919. His second bar was awarded in 1920.

Death

Ernest Hayes died on 19 February 1938, at the age of just 39. He is buried in Beeston cemetery, Nottinghamshire. His grave remained unmarked until 2005, when his youngest daughter Barbara, with the help of the

Royal British Legion The Royal British Legion (RBL), formerly the British Legion, is a British charity providing financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants. Membership Service in th ...

, placed a memorial stone upon his grave.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hayes Ernest King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry soldiers British Army personnel of World War I 1898 births 1938 deaths Burials in Nottinghamshire People from Cotgrave People from Beeston, Nottinghamshire Military personnel from Nottinghamshire