Ernest was the son of Ernest Wales Judd and his wife Winifred Lilian May nee Baker who had married on 16th December 1915 at St John of Jerusalem Church, Hackney.
Like his son Ernest senior had served in the RASC then known as the ASC, popularly referred to as Alley Sloper’s Cavalry, during the First World War and received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Ernest junior was born 7th February 1917 and baptised at St John’s Church, Hackney on 24th February 1918 followed by Doreen Kitty Ailsa in 1920 and Derek Alfred in 1922 who sadly died the following year and Myrtle Edwina in 1924.
The family moved to Woodham Ferrers sometime before 1924 when the parents were registered to vote at The Croft and in 1927 they were living at “Ikona Kraal” finally moving to The Bungalow, Hullbridge Road, South Woodham Ferrers by 1930 where they were still living when the 1939 registration took place although Ernest Junior and Derek were not there. Trade directories have Ernest senior listed as a wine and spirit valuer with an office at 36 Camomile Street London EC3.
Greece was invaded by Italian troops on 28th October 1940 but were driven back to Bulgaria by the Greek Army. Britain sent around 58,000 British and Australian troops to help the Greeks, landing from 7th March 1941. To support their ally the German Army invaded Greece from Albania on 6th April 1941 and less than three weeks later Ernest was missing presumed dead. The German conquest of mainland Greece was completed by 30th April when the invasion of Crete commenced.
Ernest was attached to the 89th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery which had originally been sent to Egypt to protect the Suez Canal at the end of December 1940 but, in April 1941, the regiment’s 234 (Kent) Battery landed at Suda Bay, Crete to protect harbour installations. The battery, having unloaded its guns on 25th , went into immediate action against German dive bombers. The next day or the day after Ernest was reported missing and was later presumed killed in action.
Ernest junior is remembered, in addition to the war memorial plaque in St Mary’s Church, Woodham Ferrers, on the Athens Memorial in Phaleron War Cemetery. This
monument commemorates nearly 3,000 Commonwealth personnel who died in the campaigns in Greece and Crete 1941 and 1944-45, The Dodecanese Islands 1943-45 and Yugoslavia 1943-1945 for whom no grave has been identified.
Ernest senior, by then living in Romford, died on 18th December 1943 of a myocardial infarction and bronchitis. Winifred died on 11th April 1958 also at Romford.