Person:Ernest Western (1)

From 6524.15 British Army List for 1930: " Western, Ernest Walter Davie. Born 2/2/1901, Lt 24/12/22 (Royal West Kent Regiment)."

From a January 1st, 1993, letter from his brother Edward James Western:

"Ernest Walter Davie Western (1901-1952) Educated Simon Langton School, Canterbury 1918 Passed entrance exam to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst 1919 Commissioned into the 2nd. Battalion queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt. Saw service in Silesia (Poland) and Northern Ireland, circa 1926 Appointed Adjutant to the regiment at its depot in Maidstone. 1932 seconded to the Gold Coast Regiment of the Royal West African Frontier Force. 1936 married Pamela Rachel Petrides, the daughter of Sir Philip Petrides (Chief Justice of the Gold Coast). 1939 Commanded 2nd. Battn. Gold Coast Regt. in Ethiopia against the Italians. 1943/44 promoted to Brigadier and commanded a Brigade of East African and West African troops on the Arakan front in Burma where he was wounded and posted back to H.Q. in India. Between 1946 and 1951 commanded 2nd Bn. Royal West Kent Regt in Germany and 129 Infrantry Brigade in Oxford. 1951 posted to Kenya to command troops in Northern Area which was the centre of Mau Mau. In Sept. 1952 while on local leave suffered a heart attack and died in hospital at Malindi Mombasa, in that December. Survived by two daughters, Caroline and Gay and a son Christopher. His widow remarried in 1959. (EWD was awarded the DSO in 1943/44. This decoration is one of the highest military service awards - EJW)."

From the http://www.generals.dk/general/Western/Ernest_Walter_Davie/Great_Britain.html website: 1942 - 1943 Commanding Officer 2nd West African Brigade, West Africa 1943 - 1945 Commanding Officer 2nd West African Brigade, West Africa - India - Burma 1945 Wounded

From National Archives WWI medal records: Description Medal card of Western, Ernest W Corps Regiment No Rank Army Service Corps M2/184058 Private

Date 1914-1920 Catalogue reference WO 372/21 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 Ward H - Wilson F Image contains 1 medal card of many for this collection

1941: DSO Medal

Name  Western, Ernest Walter Davie 

Rank: Major, Temporary Lieutenant Colonel Regiment: Royal West Kents Commanding 3 Battalion Gold Coast Regiment Theatre of Combat or Operation: Middle East: East Africa and Madagascar Award: Distinguished Service Order Date of Announcement in London Gazette: 30 December 1941

Date 1941-1943 Catalogue reference WO 373/29 on A2A

1. ↑ Army Register Book of Births, Baptisms, and Marriages
   1.

   1st Co., Royal Engineers - Registry of Baptisms for 1901