Day 795. Hull Pals Memorial Post. PRIVATE ERNEST COUPLAND 11/532. Born on 29th June 1892, Ernest was the eldest of three children to George and Annie Cooper of 9 Northumberland Avenue, Hull. A Joiner before the war, he enlisted on Tuesday 8th September 1914 at Hull City Hall joining the fledgling 11th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment, The Tradesmen, 2nd Hull Pals. A veteran of Egypt and the Somme, Ernest was briefly promoted to acting Lance Corporal in August 1916 but he voluntarily relinquished this rank in October. A member of D Company he was captured on 3rd May 1917 during the attack on Oppy Wood being first listed as missing and then confirmed a prisoner of war on 29th May which must have been an anxious few weeks for his parents. Their hopes were however dashed on 15th July 1917 when a message was sent from German High Command to their British counterparts from Dulmen in Germany: The Prisoner of War Hospital in Dulmen has notified that Ernest Coupland, English prisoner of war, corporal (sic) in the East Yorkshire Regiment, aged 25 years, Protestant religion, resident at Hull, England, born at Hull, England, unmarried, son of Municipal Officer John Coupland and his wife Annie, both of Hull, England died at Dulmen in the Prisoner of War Hospital on 5th July 1917 at 3.30pm of inflammation of the lungs. The official cause of death was listed as Pneumonia. Ernest was buried at Cologne Southern Cemetery.
Posted on: Wed, 02 Apr 2014 21:22:07 +0000
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