Ernest Westnutt
Place of birth: Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England
Parents: James and Ann Westnutt
Wife: Edith L Roberts
Previous occupation: Shoe hand
Service: Royal Navy
Rank: Petty Officer
Service Number: J13937
Joined Hood: December 1920
Left Hood: June 1922
Biographical Information: Ernest Westnutt was born in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, and his first employment was in the shoemaking industry for which Northamptonshire was famous.
Ernest joined the Royal Navy at HMS Ganges on 20th May 1915, as a Boy Second Class. His advancement was rapid: on reaching the age of 18 he was advanced to the rate of Ordinary Seaman; just nine months later he was advanced to Able Seaman; three years later he was a Leading Seaman; and after another three years or so he was rated Petty Officer. This was rapid progress.
Ernest was present at the Battle of Jutland in the new battleship HMS Revenge. He served in HMS Hood, as a Petty Officer, for about eighteen months from 1920 to 1922.
By a sad twist of fate, his son (also called Ernest) lost his life in October 1939 when HMS Royal Oak, Revenge's sister ship, was sunk by a U boat in Scapa Flow anchorage.
Ernest's response was to rejoin the Royal Navy. He is known to have served in the battleship Duke of York on duty with the Arctic convoys.
Ernest survived World War II and passed away early in 1976 in his native Northamptonshire.
Additional Photographs
None at this time.
No known memorials
Sources
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
'Register of Deaths of Naval Ratings' (data extracted by Director of Naval Personnel (Disclosure Cell), Navy Command HQ, 2009)
Chris Bilham from Service papers, August 2009.