Ernest John Simons – Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Hawke Battalion

Able Seaman Ernest John Simons – Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Hawke Battalion

Early Life

Ernest John Simons was born in 1899 in Swansea, the son of Ernest Simons and Elizabeth Simons. He spent his early years in the closely connected working‑class community around Madoc Street, an area shaped by Swansea’s industrial growth and its reliance on railway and dock labour.

1901 Census

The 1901 Census records the Simons family living at 73 Madoc Street, Swansea. Ernest’s father, Ernest, aged 22, was employed as a Railway Platelayer, while his mother Elizabeth, aged 20, cared for their young son, Ernest John, then 2 years old. This snapshot captures a young family beginning its life in one of Swansea’s busy industrial districts.

1911 Census

By 1911, the family had moved a short distance to 17 Madoc Street, remaining within the same familiar neighbourhood. Ernest’s father, now 33, was working as a Labourer, and his mother Elizabeth, aged 31, continued to run the household. Their two children—Ernest John (12) and Lily Maud (9)—were both attending school. The census reflects a stable, hardworking family rooted firmly in the community.

Naval Service

As the First World War intensified, Ernest enlisted in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR). He was assigned to the Hawke Battalion of the Royal Naval Division, a unit made up primarily of naval reservists who were deployed as infantry on the Western Front. The Hawke Battalion served with distinction throughout the Somme operations of 1916, enduring some of the harshest conditions faced by British troops.

Hawke Battalion on 13^th November 1916

On 13^th November 1916, the Hawke Battalion took part in the opening assault of the Battle of the Ancre, the final major British offensive of the Somme campaign. In the weeks before the attack, the battalion had been rotating between the forward lines in the Mailly‑Maillet and Hamel sectors, and resting at Englebelmer, all while enduring deteriorating trenches, relentless rain, and the physical strain of constant labour and sentry duty.

Before dawn, the battalion advanced into darkness, thick fog, and the infamous Somme mud. Their objective lay across broken, waterlogged ground toward heavily fortified German positions overlooking the Ancre Valley. As the Hawke Battalion pushed forward, it encountered devastating machine‑gun fire from concealed German strongpoints along Station Road and throughout the trench systems. The deep mud, flooded shell holes, and extremely poor visibility made progress slow and dangerous. Communication between companies broke down, and many units became scattered in the fog.

Casualties mounted rapidly. Numerous men of the battalion—particularly Able Seamen and junior NCOs—fell during the early stages of the advance. Many of their names now appear on the memorials and cemetery rolls of the Somme. Despite these losses, the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division succeeded in making significant gains, and the village of Beaucourt was taken the following day, 14^th November 1916, marking one of the most difficult but successful actions carried out by the division during its first major Western Front engagement.

Death

British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records

According to the official British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, Able Seaman Ernest John Simons was killed in action on 13^th November 1916, falling during the Hawke Battalion’s attack in the opening phase of the Battle of the Ancre.

Commemoration

Ernest is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, the imposing monument that bears the names of more than 72,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers who died on the Somme and have no known grave. His name stands proudly among the men of the Hawke Battalion who gave their lives during one of the most demanding operations of the First World War