Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Harry Whiting a domestic groom, born 1860 in Sherwood, Nottingham and his wife Eliza Whiting (nee Hall, married in the 1st quarter of 1888 in the Loughborough, Leicestershire district), born 1865 Long Whatton, Leicestershire. Ernest, a schoolboy was born in the 4th quarter of 1895 in Long Whatton, his siblings were, Gertrude Hall, a hosiery wool maker, born in the 1st quarter of 1887, Ada, a schoolgirl, born on the 7th February 1891, Nelly, a schoolgirl, born in the 4th quarter of 1892 and Charles, born in the 1st quarter of 1898, all his siblings were born in Long Whatton, in March 1901 the family home was at Top Side Survy, Long Whatton. In April 1911 Ernest was absent from the family home at Mill lane, Long Whatton, residing there was his father, a domestic coachman, his mother and brother Charles, a schoolboy, meanwhile, Ernest was employed as a general domestic farm boy and was residing as a servant at The Gables Farm, Long Whatton. His elder brother Edwin fell in action on the 21st August, 1915. Ernest was born in the 1st quarter of 1888 in Long Whatton.
Edwin’s Army enlistment documents do not survive, but from the few existing documents that are available in the public domain, it can be confirmed that he enlisted into the Army in Loughborough, Leicestershire. After enlistment, he joined the Depot of the Leicestershire Regiment and was allotted the service number 2372 and was posted to the 2/5th Territorial Force Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment. He was on a date unknown transferred to the 1/5th Territorial Force Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment and finally was transferred to the 2/4th Territorial Force Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment. It is unknown when Ernest first entered the theatre of war in France, however as he was not recorded on the medal rolls for the 1914-15 Star, it must be assumed that it was at some time after the 31st December 1915. Under the Army Council Instruction of 1917 that promulgated a new numbering system for all Territorial Force units, he was allotted the service number 240531. Nothing further is known of his military service until he was officially recorded as missing in action on the 24th March 1918, while serving with “D” Company of the 2/4th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment. After extensive inquiries by the British Red Cross & St. John to determine whether Ernest had been taken as a Prisoner of War, it was concluded that for official purposes, he was killed in action on the 24th March, 1918, and as his body was never recovered and he was commemorated on the Arras Memorial to the Missing in France. Ernest was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
The War Diary records: 24 Mar-18 - ERVILLERS. Quiet day. 3.00 to 4.00pm ERVILLERS shelled. 6.30 pm. Relief came in. 9.00pm. Bombing and shelling started. 10.00pm. Hostile attack developed on our left forcing back SUFFOLK REGIMENT and MIDDLESEX REGIMENT. Germans broke through and lined MORY – ERVILLERS ROAD enfilading the whole of our line. Battalion Headquarters formed up facing road and “A” Company counter-attacked. German Machine Gun fire so heavy that “A” Company could make little progress owing to heavy casualties. They eventually formed a line facing MORY – ERVILLERS ROAD. Held the German attack up from there. During their attack Corporal HILL and 2 men rushed a German Machine Gun killing an officer and bayoneting 5 men. 11.30 to 12.00pm “A” Company held its line, but all attempts to reinforce and send up small arms ammunition failed owing to very heavy Machine Gun fire.