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Sgt. Ernest Henry Henderson MM.
British Army 113th Coy. Labour Corps
from:London
Ernest Henderson is my great grandfather. My grandmother used to tell us stories of his war service and that he won a medal for bravery. We were very young and I forgot these tales in later life. When I started researching those family members who had fought in WW1 we discovered his record.
He was a clerk when war broke out and above average age for the Army. He joined the West Surrey Regiment, then transferred to Labour Corps, 113th Company, in April 1917. He was in France thoughout 1917, assisting in tunnelling, building railways. The Company was involved in the battle for Vimy Ridge in 1917 and took casualties from shelling and aerial attack. In March 1918 the Company, now known for their bridging skills, were requested by the senior Royal Engineer in the sector. They successively bridged the Ancre, Canal du Nord, Escault Canal (Hindenburg Line), the Selle and the Sambre.
In May 1918, now the 113th (Armed) Company, they were working around Vadencourt Wood with shelling and gas attacks disrupting work. On October 26, at the height of the Battle of the Sambre, when the infantry attacked the village of Englefontaine they were brought up in lorries to clear the walls and hedges for the advance of the guns. Sergeant Henderson and four of his comrades received the Military Medal for their part in the action.
He survived the war and went back to being a clerk.
