- See Ernest James Geddes’s entry on the Board of Trade’s Ancestry public tree.
- This information updates the group’s previous research published on the former DTI website (now archived by the National Archives).
- Do you have any more information about Ernest James Geddes so the War Memorial Research Group would love to hear from you.
Name recorded on Board of Trade Memorial: E. J. Geddes
Born:
Date of Death: 21 December 1915
Age at death: 28
Service, Regiment, Corps, etc: Royal Army Medical Corps
Unit, Ship, etc: 3/5th London Field Ambulance
Enlisted: Chelsea
Rank: Private (Service no: 2259)
Decorations:
War (and theatre): WW1
Manner of Death: Accidentally killed
Family Details: Son of Florence L Forcey (formerly Geddes) of 53 Peckham, Camberwell and the late Thomas Geddes
Residence: Camberwell
Home Department: Board of Trade – Labour Department (Central Office)
Civilian Rank: Second Division Clerk
Cemetery or Memorial: Deptford (Brockley) Cemetery (K.32A); Board of Trade War Memorial (now located at 3 Whitehall Place, London); Memorial to Staff of the Ministry of Labour located at Caxton House, Tothill Street, London
Biography:
Ernest James Geddes was born on 30 October 1893 in Peckham, London, England. His father was Thomas Samuel Geddes (1870-1906), a postman and his mother was Florence Louisa Mills (1871-1959). He was baptised at St Paul’s Church, Deptford, London on 3 June 1898. He had one sister – Florence Emily Kate Geddes (1895-1986) and two brothers – an elder brother, William Thomas Varney Geddes (1891 – 1976) and a younger brother, Charles John Geddes (1897-1983). His younger brother was later Lord Geddes of Epsom who became general secretary of the Union of Post Office Workers (1944-1957) and President of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) (1954-1955).
In 1901, Ernest (aged 8) was living with his parents at 113 Douglas Street, Deptford. In the 1911 census, Ernest (now 17) is living with his mother and brothers and sister at 1 Medusa Road, Catford, London. He is already working as a Boy Clerk in the Civil Service. In between these dates, his father sadly died in 1906.
Before WW1, we believe that Ernest studied at Westminster Polytechnic. He then found a job as a Second Division Clerk for the Labour Department’s Central Office (which was then part of the Board of Trade).
Ernest enlisted with the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) serving in the 3/5th London Ambulance and also with the 4th London (City of London) General Hospital. He served in the home territorial forces and was stationed in Marlow. He did not serve in France.
According to the Museum of Military Medicine, the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) in which Ernest served expanded rapidly during WW1. At the start of the war there 9000 men serving in the unit. By 1918 there were 13000 RAMC officers and 154,000 other ranks. The unit served across the globe in France, Belgium but also further afield in Macedonia, Italy, Palestine, South Russia and Mesopotamia. Ernest continued to serve in the home territorial forces and was stationed in Marlow. He did not serve in France.
Dr Jessica Meyer, a research fellow at the University of Leeds, has studied the work of the RAMC during WW1, for instance, studying the role of masculinity and caregiving in WW1. This YouTube video provides more insight into the RAMC
His Westminster Polytechnic Volunteer Training Corps attestation paper (dated 24 November 1914) and a manuscript of the Polytechnic’s Roll of Honour record him living at 53, Peckham Road, Camberwell. His height is listed as 5 foot 4 inches and a chest size of 33 inches.
He was killed by a motor vehicle just one week after being posted to Kings College Hospital, where he was on his way to work, on 21 December 1915 aged 22 years.
Ernest was buried on 28 December 1915 in Deptford (Brockley) Cemetery. His grave inscription confirms the circumstances of his death. He is also remembered on the Ministry of Labour Memorial (located at Caxton House, Tothill Street, London) and on the Board of Trade War Memorial.
Board of Trade War Memorial 