Col Ernest Alfred Brooke ALSTON [80]

  General Notes:

Ernest was educated at Tonbridge School. He joined the Militia in 1895 and was gazetted from there to a commission in the Northampton Regiment, with whom he served during the South African War, being awarded the Queens's medal with three clasps. In May l915 he went to France with a battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment as a Major and a year later was given the command of the 10th battalion of the D.C.L.I. Except for six weeks prior to taking his new command into active service, he had been on continuous active service from May 1915 until the day of his death in action 11 August 1917. He was then acting Lieutenant-Colonel, and had been twice mentioned in despatches.
His London address was 25 Iverns Court, Kensington. [above information provided by Peter Culverwell]

Served in the Northampton Regiment - Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry

Hart's Annual Army List for 1915 lists Ernest as being in the Special Reserve Regiment 3rd Battalion with his entry reading -
Alston - Ernest Alfred Brooke, Captain 3rd Bt.
2nd Lt. 18 Oct 1899
Lt. 15 June 1901
Cpt. 3rd Bt. 26 July 1908
Cpt. 2nd Bt. 26 July 1908

ERNEST ALFRED BROOKE was the fifth child of William Evelyn and Elizabeth Rouse Alston (nee Fitzgerald) and was born on 29.10.1878 and was educated at Tonbridge School. He joined the Militia in 1895 and was gazetted from there to a commission in the Northampton Regiment, with whom he served during the South African War, being awarded the Queens's medal with three clasps. In May l915 he went to France with a battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment as a Major and a year later was given the command of the 10th battalion of the D.C.L.I. Except for six weeks, when he took over this command previous to taking them on active service, he had been on continuous active service from May 1915 until the day of his death, when he was than a temporary Lieutenant-Colonel, and had been twice mentioned in despatches. He was killed in action on 11th August 1917, at which time he was married to Eileen Alston,(nee Hunter) then living at 25 Iverns Court, Kensington, London. [above information provided by Peter Culverwell]

Alternative year of birth 1877.

ERNEST ALFRED BROOKE ALSTON
Lieutenant Colonel
Northamptonshire Regiment
Commanding 10th Bn., Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
who died on Saturday, 11th August 1917.
Age 40.
Additional Information:
Son of Surgeon Maj. William Evelyn Alston, M.D., J.P., of Eastcliffe House, Sandgate, Kent; husband of Eileen Finnis (formerly Alston), of Shirley Park Hotel, East Croydon.
Commemorative Information
Cemetery:
RAMSCAPPELLE ROAD MILITARY CEMETERY, Nieuwpoort, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
Grave Reference/ Panel Number: II. B. 21.
Location:
Temporary Route due to roadworks along N367.
The village of Ramskapelle (formerly Ramscappelle) is located east of Veurne off the E40 motorway. From the motorway E40 which runs between Veurne and Oostende, turn off at Junction 3 (Nieuwpoort) and turn onto the N355 in the direction of Diksmuide. At the village of Ramskapelle take the first turning left into Molemstraat; follow this road to the end and turn left into Ramskapellestraat, the N356. Follow the N356 to the T-junction and the cemetery is on the left.
Historical Information:
From June to November 1917, Commonwealth forces (XV Corps) held the front line in Belgium from St Georges (now Sint Joris), near Ramscappelle, to the sea. Most of Plot I of Ramscappelle Road Military Cemetery was made in July and August 1917, but the cemetery was considerably enlarged after the Armistice when graves were brought in from other burial grounds in the area and from the battlefields. There are now 841 Commonwealth casualties of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 312 of the burials are unidentified, but special memorials commemorate two casualties known or believed to be buried among them. There are also special memorials to 26 casualties originally buried at Nieuport (now Nieuwpoort) or Nieuport-Bains, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire. The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

Description
Medal card of Alston, E A B
CorpsRegiment NoRank
Northamptonshire Regiment Major Temporary Lieutenant Colonel
Date 1914-1920
Catalogue reference WO 372/24links to the Catalogue
Dept Records created or inherited by the War Office, Armed Forces, Judge Advocate General, and related bodies
Series War Office: Service Medal and Award Rolls Index, First World War
Piece Mentioned 3 times in Despatches, Meritorious Service Medals and Territorial Force Efficiency Medals
Image contains 1 medal card of many for this collection.

Alston Ernest Alfred Brooke of East Cliffe House Sandgate Kent Lieutenant-Colonel 5th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment died 11 August 1917 in France on active service. Probate London 20 March 1918 to Eileen Alston widow. Effects £6471 5s 6d
National Probate Calendar.

  Other Records

1. Census: England, 3 Apr 1881, Oadby Leicester. Ernest is recorded as residing at Broxhills House Oadby, a son aged 3, born Sandgate Kent

2. Census: England, 5 Apr 1891, East End House, Sandgate, Kent. Ernest is recorded as a son single aged 13 born Sandgate

3. Ernest Alfred Brooke Alston: Will, 22 Mar 1916.
Ernest on active service with the 5th Northamptonshire Regt leaves his entire estate to his wife Eileen Alston

Ernest married Eileen HUNTER [4854] [MRIN: 1663] Mar Qtr 1916 in Paddington London MDX.