Ernest Sidney Burnley was born at Leeds in 1895, the only child of Ernest and Martha Burnley. In 1901 the family was living at 5 Winfield Grove in Woodhouse, Leeds, Ernest (senior) working as a dental practitioner. Ten years later, the family was separated: Martha, describing herself as a widow, was the manageress at Pannal Golf Club while Ernest (junior) was boarding in Scarborough and working as a clerk in a theatre box office. In a case heard at Sunderland Borough Police Court on 29th September 1904, Martha had been granted custody of her 9-year-old son following allegations that her husband had shown her persistent cruelty over a period of seven to eight years. Contrary to Martha's declaration in the 1911 Census, Ernest (senior) was alive, residing in Leeds and continuing to work in dentistry.
When war broke out in August 1914, it is likely that Ernest was, like his mother, employed at Pannal Golf Club, the Claro Times of 20th March 1915 reporting that an S. Burnley was among the members of staff at the Club who were serving with the armed forces.
Ernest voluntarily enlisted into the 1/5th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment on 31st August or 1st September 1914, possibly alongside Frank Clarkson and Arthur Weatherhead, and went to France with the battalion, disembarking at Boulogne on 15th April 1915. On 26th June 1917, Ernest, then a lance corporal, was discharged to a commission and joined the regiment's 9th Battalion as a second lieutenant.
The first week of November 1918 found the 9th Battalion engaged in the pursuit of the retreating German army towards the Belgian border. The events of the battalion's last major action of the war are described in the unit's war diary:
1st November 1918
Training - mainly attack formations.
2nd November 1918
The battalion left HASPRES at 1100 hrs marching to VERCHAIN where dinners were served. Later the march was continued through QUERENAING and ARTRES, the battalion relieving the Argyle & Sutherland Highlanders and occupying the line secured by the latter during the morning. The relief was carried out without casualties. Battalion HQrs at ARTRES.
Companies commanded by:-“A” Coy. - 2nd Lt. A. ATKINSON
“B” Coy. - 2nd Lt. E. S. BURNLEY
“C” Coy. - Capt. N. T. HARTLEY M.C.
“D” Coy. - Capt. R. B. WALKER M.C.
3rd November 1918
Patrols discovering that the enemy had retired, the battalion, in conjunction [with] the 9th Bn. Notts. & Derbys. of the 33rd Infantry Bde. on the left and troops of the 19th Division on the right, moved forward. Little opposition was met from enemy infantry but opposing batteries were very active. The battalion was ordered to dig in on rising ground forward of the railway between CURGIES and JENLAIN. A few prisoners were taken. Battalion HQrs established at PRESEAU.
4th November 1918
The battalion was ordered to continue the advance at dawn, moving forward through thickly wooded country. Temporary trouble was caused from enemy machine guns. The wood was cleared however and the River Aunelle was crossed. LE TRIEZ was cleared, a number of prisoners being received. Many civilians were released. The advance was continued towards ROISIN but failure of the division on the right to get into line put the right flank in the air. A retirement was carried out to a sunken road on the outskirts of the village during which many casualties occurred. No further progress was made during the day. 2nd Bn. Yorkshire Regt. were in support and 6th Bn. York and Lancaster Regt. were in reserve. Battalion HQrs were established on railway between CURGIES and JENLAIN. Heavy shelling took place till dusk, causing further casualties.
For the 4th November, the battalion reported 4 officers and 12 other ranks killed or died of wounds, 3 officers and 57 other ranks wounded, and 3 officers and 41 other ranks missing. Among the officers reported killed, exactly one week before the Armistice, was 23-year-old Ernest Sidney Burnley. He was first buried on the south-eastern edge of present-day Sebourg-le-Triez (trench map reference 51.A.26.d.5.5), his grave marked by a cross, and later reburied in Valenciennes (St. Roch) Communal Cemetery. The inscription chosen by his mother for the headstone reads THEY TOOK AWAY THE BODY BUT THEY COULD NOT TAKE THE SOUL.
[Note: trench map coordinates can be located on a modern map using the excellent tmapper resource.]