Ernest & Albert Codling

One of the 38 missing names from the War Memorial which were added in 2014-16 to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the Great War was that of Private Ernest Codling (pictured left) who was serving with the 6th Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment and died on 8th June 1917 near Ypres in Belgium.

He had joined the 4th Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment in Lincoln on 4th December 1914, but had been transferred to the 6th Battalion at the time of this death.

On the morning of 7th June 1917, a number of huge land mines were detonated as the precursor to the battle for the strategically important Messines Ridge. The Allied armies were successful in capturing the ridge which gave them control of the surrounding area. But sadly, Ernest was killed in action the following day, probably during a German counter attack, and was buried near where he fell but after the war his remains were re-interred in the British Military Cemetery at Messines Ridge.

He was unmarried and had worked as warehouseman before enlisting.

Ernest’s brother, Lance Corporal Albert Codling (pictured right) was also killed in the Great War and was among the 37 names added to the War Memorial in 2014 as a result of research which showed his father’s address as Woodview, Bourne.

After seeing Albert’s name on the War Memorial, members of the family felt that Ernest should also be remembered and approached the trustees of Bourne United Charities who agreed the name be included and it was added in time for Remembrance Sunday which was marked on November 13th.

Albert was serving with the 1st/4th Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment when he died of wounds on 16th October 1915.

He was born on 15th December 1892, son of Mr J Codling, of Woodview, Bourne, and was unmarried. Prior to enlisting he had worked as a drayman with the Midland and Great Northern Railway.

Albert is buried at the Lindenhoek Chalet Military Cemetery at Heuvelland, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium, and is also named on the Lincoln Railway Memorial.

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