Photograph courtesy of Pam
Born: 1897, Ipswich.
Died: 17th September 1918; age 22; KiA.
Residence: 29, Waterworks Street, Ipswich.
Employed: Messrs. Limmer and Pipe’s, Ipswich.
Enlistment Location: Ipswich.
Rank: Lance Corporal; Service Number: 41511.
Regiment: Essex Regiment,11th Battalion.
Formerly 18534, Suffolk Regiment.
Medals Awarded: Victory & British War.
Grave Reference:
B.33.
Caulaincourt,
France.
image of John from 1918 Chronicle newspaper.
Brother to CHARLES VALENTINE FULLER.
CENSUS
1901 8, Little Baker Street, Ipswich.
John was 4 years old and living with his parents & siblings.
Charles Fuller, 37, a Quay Labourer, born Ipswich.
Emily Fuller (nee Day), 34, born Ipswich.
Ethel Emily Fuller, 16, a Tea Packer – Grocer, born Ipswich.
Charles Valentine Fuller, 14, an Errand Boy, born Ipswich.
Ernest George Fuller, 11, born Ipswich.
Stanley Daniel Fuller, 6, born Ipswich.
1 boarder.
1911 29, Waterworks Street, Ipswich.
John was 14 years old, an Errand Boy. He was living with his parents & siblings.
Charles, 48, a Dock Labourer.
Emily, 44.
Charles, 23, out of work.
Ada Gertrude Fuller, 7, born Ipswich.
Eva Violet Fuller, 3, born Ipswich.
4 boarders.
SERVING WITH THE FORCES.
The above photograph shows Mr. and Mrs. Charles Fuller, of 29, Waterworks Street, and their four sons who all went to France in 1914. Their names and regiments are (1) Prvt. John Fuller, Suffolk Regiment, now in France, was employed at Messrs. Limmer and Pipe’s about two years previous to the war. (2) Corpl. Ernest George Fuller, Machine-gun Corps, went to France in 1914, was wounded on July 4th, 1916, now convalescent at Grantham. (3) Prvt. Stanley Fuller, Lincolnshire Regiment, went to France in 1914, and still out there. (4) Prvt. Charles V. Fuller, went to France at outbreak of war in the Suffolks, was wounded in 1915, and died at Cliff Hospital, Felixstowe, on February 12th, 1916.
John is also remembered on St. Clement’s Church WW1 War Memorial
I am looking for Ernest George Fuller. No 17812 in the Machine Gun Corps in France wounded 1916 ?
I am unable to trace Battles he fought in and where he was wounded subsequently have a leg amputation. Can anyone help in finding this information.
Thank you
Pam (daughter)
Hi Pam, see below his details and some back ground notes. it could be had to tract down his unit as they were often attached to any unit who needed machine gun support. I did find another person in the Suffolk regiment in 1914 with the same name so he may of changed to the machine gun corp after 1914.. I will continue searching.
kind regards Andrew
Subject: Ernest George Fuller ( i will continue to search)
First Name: Ernest
Initials: E
Surname: Fuller
Nationality: British
Incident Details: Wounds
Rank: Sergeant
Service Number: 17812
Service From Date: 7-Aug-07
Service To Date: 14-Aug-18 ( this is the date he was given the badge not
the wound)
Silver War Badge Number: B22229
Gazette Page:
386 his Silver War Badge was issued in the United Kingdom to service
personnel who had been honourably discharged due to wounds or sickness
during World War I. The badge, sometimes known as the Discharge Badge,
Wound Badge or Services Rendered Badge, was first issued in September 1916,
along with an official certificate of entitlement.
The sterling silver lapel badge was intended to be worn in civilian
clothes. It had been the practice of some women to present white feathers
to apparently able-bodied young men who were not wearing the King’s
uniform. The badge was to be worn on the right breast while in civilian
dress, it was forbidden to wear on a military uniform.
The badge bears the royal cipher of GRI (for Georgius Rex Imperator;
George, King and Emperor) and around the rim “For King and Empire; Services
Rendered”. Each badge was uniquely numbered on the reverse. The War Office
made it known that they would not replace Silver War Badges if they went
missing, however if one was handed into a police station then it would be
returned to the War Office. If the original recipient could be traced at
his or her discharge address then the badge would be returned.
The Machine Gun Corps (MGC) was a corps of the British Army, formed in
October 1915 in response to the need for more effective use of machine guns
on the Western Front in World War I. The Heavy Branch of the MGC was the
first to use tanks in combat, and the branch was subsequently turned into
the Tank Corps, later called the Royal Tank Regiment. The MGC was disbanded
in 1922.
At the outbreak of World War I in August 1914 the tactical potential of
machine guns was not appreciated by the British Military. The Army
therefore went to war with each infantry battalion and cavalry regiment
containing a machine gun section of just two guns each. This was
supplemented in November 1914 by the formation of the Motor Machine Gun
Service (MMGS), administered by the Royal Artillery, consisting of motor
cycle mounted machine gun batteries. A machine gun school was also opened
in France.
A year of warfare on the Western Front proved that, to be fully effective,
machine guns must be used in larger units and crewed by specially trained
men. To achieve this, the Machine Gun Corps was formed in October 1915 with
Infantry, Cavalry and Motor branches, followed in 1916 by the Heavy Branch.
A depot and training centre was established at Belton Park in Grantham,
Lincolnshire, and a base depôt at Camiers in France.
The Boy David Memorial to the Machine Gun Corps in London. The Vickers Guns
on each side of the Boy David (which each have a laurel wreath laid over
them) are actual Vickers Guns.
The inscription on the memorial: “Saul hath slain his thousands but David
his tens of thousands”.
The inscription on rear of the memorial
The Infantry Branch was by far the largest and was formed initially by the
transfer of battalion machine gun sections to the MGC, these being grouped
into Brigade Machine Gun Companies, three per division. New companies were
raised at Grantham. In 1917 a fourth company was added to each division. In
February and March 1918, the four companies in each division were formed
into a Machine Gun Battalion.
The Cavalry Branch consisted of Machine Gun Squadrons, one per cavalry
brigade.
The Motor Branch, after absorbing the MMGS, formed several types of units:
motor cycle batteries, light armoured motor batteries (LAMB) and light car
patrols. As well as motor cycles, other vehicles used included Rolls-Royce
and Ford Model T cars.
The Heavy Section was formed in March 1916, becoming th
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