Heathcote Ernest Pte 4456205
Personnel Entry
Name Heathcote Ernest Redfern
Army number 4456205
Rank Pte
Decorations Service Awards - 1939/45 Star. War Medal. ? Defence Medal.
Date of birth Born County Durham 29/11/1911.
Age 29 at the time of his death.
Unit Enlisted in The Durham Light Infantry at Spennymoor 28/51939. Posted 6th Bn DLI 28/5/1939. Posted 10th Battalion DLI 3/9/1939. Embarked for France 24/4/1940 - arrived 25/4/1940. Served in Northern France with the B.E.F. Posted Missing 10/5/40 - 31/5/40. Presumed KILLED in ACTION 20/5/40 with 10th Battalion Durham Light Infantry during the battle of Ficheux. Casualty status only confirmed formally 26/6/1942.
Company/Battery
Platoon or other sub-unit
Task or role
Joined Brigade 3/9/1939.
Promotions
Wounded
Prisoner of War
Died/Killed in action KILLED in ACTION 20-May-40. Buried Special Memorial Plot 8. Row E. Grave 2. BUCQUOY ROAD CEMETERY, Ficheux. Headstone inscription reads : FOR EVER IN OUR THOUGHTS.
Home address Resident of County Durham. Married Annie Marshall on 8/5/1937 at Bishop Auckland. Lived at 11, Back South View, Kirk Merrington, Ferryhill, County Durham. Mrs Heathcote subsequently lived at 23 Back Hume Street, Spennymoor, County Durham.
Source table 10DLI
DLI Roll of Honour has 1/5/1940 as the date of death - this is believed to be in error as the German invasion only began on 10/5/1940. The War Office casualty list shows only 5/40 with no day mentioned. CWGC shows 20/5/1940 which was the date of the Battles of FICHEUX and MERCATEL.
Further investigation will take place on the initial interment of Ernest utilising the papers passed to the Lead Researcher by the late Andre Coilliot.
To read more about Ernest please click on here - https://www.newmp.org.uk/person/e-heathcote-1940/ - to read his "Every Name a Story" entry on the NEWMP Website.
