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Suggest pagesErnest George Horlock
| Ernest George Horlock | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 24 October 1885 Alton, Hampshire |
| Died | 30 December 1917 (aged 32) off Alexandria, Egypt |
| Buried at | Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt |
| Allegiance | UK |
| Service/branch |  British Army |
| Rank | Battery Sergeant Major |
| Unit | Royal Field Artillery |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Awards | Victoria Cross |
Ernest George Horlock VC (also known as Ernest George Harlock) (24 October 1885 – 30 December 1917) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Born 24 October 1885 to John and Emily Horlock; Horlock was 28 years old, married to Ethel,[1] and a Bombardier in the 113th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, British Army during the First World War. On 15 September 1914 at Vendresse, France, he performed the deed for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
For conspicuous gallantry on 15th September, near Vendresse, when his Battery was in action under a heavy shell fire, in that, although twice wounded, he persisted on each occasion in returning to lay his gun after his wound had been dressed.
He later achieved the rank of Battery Sergeant Major.
He joined the Royal Field Artillery as a regular soldier before the First World War and for an unknown reason served as Harlock, possibly due to a clerical error on enlistment papers and subsequent records. His Victoria Cross was actually correctly engraved Horlock. His grave at Hadra Military Cemetery, Alexandria, bore the name Harlock until corrected by the Commonwealth Graves Commission in the late 1970s.
[edit] Memorial service
On 24 May 2001 (previously called Empire Day), the parish of Langrish in Hampshire unveiled a memorial to E.G. Horlock, VC, in St John's Church. The event was attended by Horlock descendants from all over the world. A contingent from 10 (Assaye) Battery (the descendants of 113th Battery and the holders of the medal) were also present, in addition to members of Portsmouth Branch of the RAA and the RA Artificers' Association. During the ceremony, a tribute was given by the General Secretary, Lieutenant Colonel MG Felton, and the memorial was unveiled by Mrs Mary Fagan, Royal Lieutenant for Hampshire.
[edit] References
- ^ Horlock, Ernest George, Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 28985. pp. 9957–9958. 24 November 1914. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
- Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
- The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
- VCs of the First World War - 1914 (Gerald Gliddon, 1994)
