Ernest Dyer was born in Rochester in the third quarter of 1894.
He was recorded in the 1901 census as living at 4 Garden Place, Rochester. He lived with his parents, both aged 52, an 18-year old brother, and four sisters. Ernest was six years old and the family was completed by another boy, aged three. Ernest’s father, George and his older brother both worked as oil mill labourers and one of his sisters was a domestic servant. Ernest’s mother was called Sarah.
In 1911 Ernest lived with his widowed mother (whose age was given as 60 and occupation as nurse). Ernest’s age was given as 17 (although he was 16 at the time) and his occupation as ‘refinery labourer’, which was very probably the same occupation that his late father had had. They lived at 59 John Street, Rochester and a grandson of Sarah’s, as well as Ernest’s younger brother, were both living with them.
Ernest enlisted with the Royal West Kent regiment and held the rank of private. His service number was G/4596. He was killed soon after the start of the Battle of the Somme and his body was not recovered. He is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial as the son of Mrs Sarah A. Dyer of Coleman Street Chatham.
Sources:
Ancestry.co.uk
UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 [database on-line].
1901 England Census [database on-line]. Class: RG13; Piece: 724; Folio: 12; Page: 16
1911 England Census [database on-line]. Class: RG14; Piece: 3893; Schedule Number: 60
Other Sources:
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/752519/DYER,%20ERNEST