Ernest Morrell was born on 17th May 1892 at Harrogate, the eldest of four children born to Henry and Sarah Jane Morrell. At the time of the 1911 Census, Ernest was living with his parents and siblings at 5 Harlow View in Pannal Ash and employed as a domestic gardener.
On 6th May 1915, Ernest married 21-year-old Annie May Dodson at St Mary's Church, Low Harrogate, the couple settling afterwards into 2 Harewood View, Pannal Ash. It would later be reported in the local newspaper that he was repeatedly rejected for the Army before being passed A1 by a Scottish Medical Board; and further that he was on the eve of returning home from the Western Front to take up a commission when he was reported killed in action.
On joining the British Expeditionary Force, Ernest had been posted to the 8th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). With the end of the war in sight, 8th Cameronians took part in the Flanders offensive on the Western Front when it was renewed on 14th October 1918. The progress of the attack made by the Cameronians that day, through the village of Gheluve and on towards the town of Menin, was described in the battalion war diary:
On the morning of [the] 14th, the [103rd] Brigade with 1/8 Scottish Rifles on the right, 5th King’s Own Scottish Borderers [on the] left and 5th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders [in] support attacked. The 102nd Brigade, 34th Division [was] on the right and 41st Division on [the] left. The attack was timed for 5.35am and the first objective was about 800 yards east of GHELUWE. The second objective [was] about 800 yards west of MENIN, and the third and final objective about another 300 yards on for the left battalion and [the] left company of [the] right battalion: the second was the final objective for the right company of the right battalion. Tapes were laid out to assist forming up, which was complete by 4am. The formation for attack was Y Company in lines of sections in front and on a front of about 400 yards, with X, W and Z following at 100 yards distance between companies.
[At 5.35am] the barrage came down 200 yards in front of the forming up line and [the] companies went forward without much opposition. There was a heavy ground mist which made the keeping of direction extremely difficult. On reaching the GHELUVE-MENIN road there was considerable confusion, as the battalion on the right came out of their area, and the left company of this battalion, instead of extending out to their left across the REUTELBEKE, clung to the MENIN Road. The consequence of this was that some of the farms on the left were not mopped up and the occupants gave a certain amount of trouble later in the day when the mist cleared.
The first objective was reached about 6am and the barrage halted there for companies to reform. About 30 or 40 prisoners were taken out of QUAIL MILL, and several machine guns and a trench mortar. The advance was resumed and the second and final objectives reached on the right. JOB FARM was cleared of the enemy and 20 prisoners and 2 machine guns taken here.
In the meantime Z Company were mopping up in GHELUVE. This was done without much opposition and a few prisoners were taken. Z Company then went forward and consolidated in the Yellow Line. No touch had been gained between our left and the K.O.S.B. right, and several enemy farmhouses still held out between the first and second objectives. An attack on these farms was ordered and W and X companies tried to work round to their left in order to outflank them. Very heavy machine-gun fire was encountered.
[At 8.30am] Battalion H.Q. moved forward to QUAIL MILL. W and X companies were checked in their attempt to clear the farms north of the REUTELBEKE, and it was not until the K.O.S.B. on the left had worked round UNCTION FARM that these two companies were able to get forward and reach their final objective. The position was consolidated, and patrols sent out to keep touch with the enemy. These patrols reported that there was no enemy between their posts and MENIN.
The battalion reported casualties suffered during the attack of 3 officers and 13 other ranks killed, 6 officers wounded (one fatally), 101 other ranks wounded and 1 other rank missing. Among the dead was Ernest Morrell. As his body could not be identified, he is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
Although Ernest Morrell was not among the local men commemorated in the Pannal Memorial Institute, he is included on the memorial in St. Robert's Church, Pannal.