Ernest Hayes MM & Two Bars

Military Medal

The Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....

 was a Corporal

Corporal

Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....

 in the British Army

British Army

The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...

. He was awarded the Military Medal

Military Medal

The Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....

 three times for his action in World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

.

Ernest Hayes, born the 16 April 1898, in Cotgrave

Cotgrave

-History:Cotgrave is a town in the borough of Rushcliffe, in Nottinghamshire, England, lying south east of Nottingham. With a relatively small population and an ancient heart that has largely escaped development Cotgrave has a village atmosphere...

, Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...

. He was one of only 180 men out of 115,600 to be awarded the Military Medal

Military Medal

The Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....

 three times during World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. He enlisted with the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry

King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry

The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry was a regiment of the British Army. It officially existed from 1881 to 1968, but its predecessors go back to 1755. The regiment's traditions and history are now maintained by The Rifles.-The 51st Foot:...

. also known as the KOYLI, in 1916. After initial training in England,he was then transferred to the Western front

Western Front (World War I)

Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...

 in France. During his time there, he took part in several major battles.

He was awarded his first "MM" on 13 March 1918. In the London Gazette

London Gazette

The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...

 it reads: "203928 Pte. E. Hayes, Yorks. L.I. (Cotgrave)". His second "MM" was awarded for his part in securing the Sambre

Sambre

The Sambre is a river in northern France and Wallonia, southern Belgium, left tributary of the Meuse River. The ancient Romans called the river Sabis.-Course:...

 canal on 4 November 1918. The citation from the Army for his actions that day reads as:

"No.203928 Cpl.E.Hayes:- For gallantry & devotion to duty during the successful attack on the Sambre canal, S.W.of Landrecies

Landrecies

Landrecies is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It is the site of a skirmish between the British I Corps under Douglas Haig and the German Fifth Army on 25 August 1914.-Heraldry:-People:...

 on the 4th of November 1918. In the face of an intense enemy artillery & machine gun barrage he led his Lewis gun

Lewis Gun

The Lewis Gun is a World War I–era light machine gun of American design that was perfected and widely used by the British Empire. It was first used in combat in World War I, and continued in service with a number of armed forces through to the end of the Korean War...

 section forward through very close country with great skill, onto his objective. On arrival there he consolidated his post & for some hours kept his gun team in action under heavy enemy fire. He was utterly regardless of personal danger & his calm method of picking up target after target had a most inspiring effect on the men in his post & other posts in his vicinity".

This was dated, 26 November 1918. His first bar was awarded in 1919 & is mentioned in the London Gazette on 23 July 1919. His second bar was awarded in 1920.

Ernest Hayes died on 19 February 1938, just 39 years old. He is buried in Beeston

Beeston, Nottinghamshire

Beeston is a town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is southwest of Nottingham city centre. Although typically regarded as a suburb of the City of Nottingham, and officially designated as part of the Nottingham Urban Area, for local government purposes it is in the borough of Broxtowe, lying outside...

 cemetery, Nottinghamshire. His grave remained unmarked until 2005, when, with the help of his youngest daughter Barbara & the British Legion, they placed a memorial stone upon his grave.