- See Ernest Robert Gutsell’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 Robert Gutsell? If so the War Memorial Research Group would love to hear from you
Name recorded on Board of Trade Memorial: E. R. Gutsell
Born: 7 May 1899, Holborn, London, England
Date of Death: 21 October 1918
Age at death: 19
Service, Regiment, Corps, etc: Machine Gun Corps
Unit, Ship, etc: Infantry – “C” Company, 9th Battalion and previously King’s Royal Rifle Corps
Enlisted: Holborn
Rank: Private (Service No: 137103 and 42355)
Decorations: WW1 Service Medals (Victory Medal and British War Medal)
War (and theatre): WW1 (France and Flanders)
Manner of Death: Killed in Action (KIA)
Family Details: Son of Ernest and Elizabeth Gutsell of 32 Mayfield Road, Becontree Estate, Chadwell Heath, Essex. Native of Holborn, London
Residence: Clerkenwell
Home Department: Board of Trade – Industrial Property Department including Patent Office
Civilian Rank:
Cemetery or Memorial: Harlebeke New British Cemetery, Harlebeke (III.AA.5); Board of Trade War Memorial;
Biography:
Ernest Robert Spencer Gutsell was born on 7 May 1899 in Holborn, London. He was the son of Ernest Edward Gutsell (1874-1931) and Elizabeth Reed (1873-?). His father Ernest was a Police Constable in the Metropolitan Police.
He had a younger brother called Albert Edward Victor Gutsell (1903-1904) and a sister called Emily Elizabeth Eileen Gutsell (1907-1997).
In 1901, the Gutsell family lived at 136 Grays Inn Road when the younger Ernest is aged 2 years old. In the 1911 census, the Gutsell family are living at 68 Nigel Buildings, Bourne Estate, Holborn and young Ernest is aged 11.
As a boy, we know that Ernest attended Rosebery Avenue Street School (which no longer exists) from 25 September 1905 when he was aged 6 years old.
We know that Ernest was employed by the Industrial Property Department which formed part of the Patent Office (although his name is not recorded on the Patent Office War Memorial).
During WW1, Ernest served as a Private in the 9th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps which was first formed on 1 March 1918. The battalion was formed from the Machine Gun Companies of the 9th (Scottish) Division. The battalion fought in the Battles of the Lys (7 to 29 April 1918) and the Advance in Flanders (18 August to 6 September 1918) and also the Battle of Courtrai (14 to 19 October 1918).
By serving in the Machine Gun Corps, Ernest was at the cutting edge of modern warfare. WW1 saw the popularization of the machine gun as a key weapon that was able to avoid the need for direct hand to hand combat and saw horrendous casualties.
According to a UK Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919 record entry he was also previously a member of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps (service number 42355).
Ernest was killed in action aged 19 on 21 October 1918. He died during the aftermath of the capture of Harlebeke village which was taken on the night of 19-20 October 1918 by the 9th (Scottish) Division. He is buried in Harlebeke New British Cemetery which is about 32 kilometres east of Ypres. The cemetery now contains 1116 Commonwealth burials and commemorations from WW1 (including 181 unidentified burials and a special memorial to one person believed to be amongst those men).
Ernest is also commemorated on a family gravestone at St Mary’s Church, Ilford and by the Board of Trade Memorial.
Board of Trade War Memorial 