Twelfth Generation

681. Ernest Richard "Dick" BLABER³⁰¹⁶ was born on 23 July 1885 in Hackney, London, England.^{2898,4150,4151,4152,4153,4154} Ernest was born at 15 Gibsons Buildings. He lived at 48 Sandbrook Road in Stoke Newington, London, England in 1891.³⁰¹⁶ He served in the Army from 6 July 1900 to 1917.^4013,4155 Ernest enlisted into the Royal Heavy and Field Artillery on 6 July 1900 with the service number 11056. He started training at Woolwich. His rank is given as "Boy" in the 1901 Census. He went to Hong Kong and Peking in 1906. He was promoted to Corporal and posted to Seaforth Garrison, Liverpool, where duties included manning Perch Rock Battery at New Brighton on the Mersey.
Just before the outbreak of war, he was promoted to Staff Sergeant and posted to India. His wife was due to join him there, but due to the outbreak of war, he returned to UK.
He returned to Portsmouth on 16th December 1914, was assigned to the 13th Siege Battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) and given the new number 23241. He was shipped to Boulogne in France and thence to the front line.
In 1915, he was posted to Artois. He served on 4.1/2 inch Howitzers. He was involved in three battles of the 1915 Artois Offensive; Neuve Chapelle, Festubert and Loos. He spent the whole of 1915 in this area of the western front.
Ernest was re-deployed into the 104th Siege Battery RGA on the 14th January 1916, serving on Mark I and III railway mounted Howitzers. He returned to Britain for training at Lydd, Kent, from March to May 1916.
He embarked from Southampton on 29th June 1916 for Le Havre. He was based in Ypres prior to the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchaendale) which began on 31st July 1917. On 27th August 1917, when preparing to fire a Mk III Howitzer at the village of Brielen, a shell exploded in the breech, destroying the Howitzer; and causing severe head injuries to Sergeant BLABER (and killing several others), resulting in him being invalided out for the remainder of the war.
He was awarded the WWI Victory, British and Star Medals.
Dick served in the Army from 1919 to 5 August 1924.⁴¹⁵⁶ Ernest returned to army service in 1919 and was posted (with his wife this time) to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).
Around 1922, he was promoted to Warrant Officer, returned to the UK and was posted to Pembroke Dock, South Wales. He was discharged from the Army at Dover on 5th August 1924.
From 1924 to 1949 he was a Chemical Storekeeper at British Enka (a man-made fibre factory) in Aintree, Liverpool, England.^4154,4156 He died on 27 November 1949 at the age of 64 in Bootle, Liverpool, England.^4156,4157 Dick had his estate probated on 26 January 1950 in Liverpool, Lancashire, England.⁴¹⁵⁷ Probate was granted to Ernest's widow, Lilian, and daughter Florence BLABER (spinster). His effects: £1158 10s 0d.

Ernest Richard "Dick" BLABER and Lilyan Maud HAUGHTON were married on 25 December 1910 at Parish Church in St Leonard's, Bootle, Liverpool, England.^{4156,4158,4159} At their marriage, Ernest was a Corporal at Seaforth Battery. Their marriage was witnessed by G E ELTHAM and Annie SINNOTT.
They^{4156,4158,4159} lived at 114 Peel Road in Bootle, Liverpool, England in 1911.⁴¹⁶⁰ They⁴¹⁶⁰ lived at 65 Tennyson Street in St Leonard's, Bootle, Liverpool, England in 1918.⁴¹⁶¹ Dick and Lilyan⁴¹⁶¹ lived at 6 Married Quarters at Nothe Barracks in Weymouth, Dorset, England in 1920.⁴¹⁶² They⁴¹⁶² lived at 27 Marmion Avenue in Bootle, Liverpool, England between 1924 and 1949.^4154,4156 Lilyan Maud HAUGHTON, daughter of Henry William HAUGHTON, was born on 10 February 1891 in Queenstown, Cobh, Republic of Ireland.^{4154,4156,4159} She lived at 25 Tennyson Street in Bootle, Liverpool, England in 1910.⁴¹⁵⁹ She died 17 Vineside Road on 20 June 1961 at the age of 70 in Liverpool, Lancashire, England.^4156,4163 Lilyan had her estate probated on 6 July 1961 in Liverpool, Lancashire, England.⁴¹⁶³ Probate was granted to Lilian's daughter Florence McCORMICK. Effects £975 6s 0d. She was also known as Lilian Blaber.⁴¹⁶³ Probate was granted to Lilian's daughter Florence McCORMICK. Effects £975 6s 0d.

Ernest Richard "Dick" BLABER-5285 and Lilyan Maud HAUGHTON-6060 had the following children: