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Captain
ERNALD JOHN LIDDON FEW, M.C.
Royal Engineers 

by 

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Edward De Santis, MSCE, BSAE, P.E., MinstRE
(June 2025) 

Figure 1.  Lieutenant Ernald John Liddon Few, R.E.
(Image courtesy of the Imperial War Museum) 

1. INTRODUCTION  

Ernald Few’s story is the story of a young man who started his military service during the Great War of 1914-1918 as a Section officer in a field company of a Territorial Division and ended it in a field company of a Regular Army Division, the Guard’s Division.  He took part in many battles while serving with both divisions, was twice wounded, and was decorated for his bravery.  As an electrical and mechanical engineer by education, following the war he went on to become a successful consulting engineer. 

2.  FAMILY INFORMATION AND EARLY LIFE

Family Information

            Ernald John Liddon Few was born on 5 March 1894 in Lower Green, Esher, Surrey, a town in the borough of Elmbridge in north Surrey, located to the east of the River Mole.  He was the son of Robert Ernald Few (1865-1950), a Solicitory, and Agnes Pennethorne Few, née Liddon (1873-1941).  Ernald had two brothers: Robert Cecil Jebb Few (1901-1983) and Richard Ronald Hamilton Few (1907-1976), both of whom became Solicitors later in life.[1] 

Early Life

            The 1901 Census of England shows young Ernald, age 7, and his father Robert visiting his maternal grandmother, Annie S. Liddon, at 28 Arterbury Road in Wimbledon, Surrey.  On the census form his father is shown as a Captain of Volunteer Infantry.  The 1911 Census shows Robert as a Solicitor. 

            Ernald entered St. Peter’s College Radley of the University of Oxford in 1908.  He left St. Peter’s College in 1913 and entered the Royal School of Mines that same year.   In 1907, the Royal School of Mines had been incorporated into the Imperial College of Science and Technology, so it was there that Few studied to obtain his engineering degrees.  While in college he was a Cadet in the Officers Training Corps (OTC) of the University of London.[2]          

3.  COMMISSIONING AND TRAINING 

Commissioning 

            From his status as a Cadet in the OTC, Few was commissioned a Temporary 2^nd Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers on 27 March 1915.[3] 

Training

            From the date of his commissioning until the date of his deployment to France, about 7½ months, Few may have attended the School of Military Engineering (SME) at Chatham for an accelerated officer’s course.  The war in France had been going on for seven months before the date of his commissioning, so there was little time for him to receive the ordinary 2 years of training normally given to a young officer.

4.  POSTINGS AND CAMPAIGN SERVICE

62^nd Divisional Royal Engineers 

            2^nd Lieutenant Few was posted to the  461^st (3/1^st West Riding) Field Company in the 62^nd (West Riding) Division upon the completion of his training.  Other units of the Royal Engineers in the division at that time consisted of:[4] 

·         2/1^st (West Riding) Field Company

·         2/2^nd (West Riding) Field Company

·         62^nd Divisional Signal Company

NOTE: At this point the author wishes to point out that there is some confusion regarding Few’s service.  His Medal Index Card clearly shows him as serving in the 461^st Field Company in the 62^nd Division.  It also shows him arriving in France on 6 November 1915.  However, The Long, Long Trail website for the 62^nd Division indicates that the division did not go to France until early 1917.  This is in conflict with the information provided in The Royal Engineers Journal[5] which indicates that the 461^st (West Riding) Field Company in the 62^nd Division was in France as early as September 1916 for the battle of Flers-Courcelette.  

The organization of the 62^nd Division was in flux at the time that Few joined it.  On 13 October 1915 the 2/2^nd (West Riding) Field Company left the division and was transferred to the 6^th Division.  This left the 62^nd Division with only two field companies.[6] 

Few departed for France on 6 November 1915 and was promoted to Temporary Lieutenant on 4 December 1915.[7]  On 23 June 1916 the 2/1^st (West Riding) Field Company left the 62^nd Division for the 49^th Division, leaving Few’s company as the only R.E. field company in the division.[8]  It was fortunate that the division was not to be engaged in any major actions for about three months. 

Despite the relative inactivity of the 62^nd Division, Few was still not out of danger.  He was reported wounded in action the first time on 25 June 1916.[9]  His wound probably had been caused by artillery fire, as his company was not near the front line at the time.  It is not known for how long he might have been out of action due to his wound. 

By the fall of 1916 Few’s company was ready to do its part in the war.  According to the Battle Honours of the Royal Engineers published in The Royal Engineers Journal (1925-1932) the following are the major actions in which Few’s company was involved: 

· The Battle of Flers- Courcelette (15-22 September 1916) 

· The Battle of Morval (25-28 September 1916) 

· The Battle of Le Transloy (1-18 October 1916)

In November 1916 the 457^th (1/3^rd West Riding) Field Company and the 460^th (2/3^rd West Riding) Field Company joined the 62^nd Division, thereby bringing up to full strength the number of field companies of the division.[10] 

On 9 April 1917 Few’s company suffered its first fatality.  He was 476572 Sapper Joseph Ward.[11] 

The spring of 1917 brought with it further operations for Lieutenant Few’s company, the first of these being; 

· The Battle of Bullecourt (3-17 May 1917)

            On 26 June 1917 Temporary Lieutenant Few was appointed Acting Captain and 2^nd in Command of his company,[12] probably due to the company 2-i-C being wounded or sick. 

            The company suffered its second fatality on 14 July 1917 when 476730 Sapper J. Faulkner was killed. 

            On 30 October 1917 Few relinquished the rank of Acting Captain on ceasing to be employed as 2^nd in command of his company.[13]  Within three weeks of his returning to the position of Section Commander, the company was engaged in another major action. 

· The Battle of Cambrai (20 November – 3 December 1917)

On 12 February 1918 the field engineering capability of the 62^nd Division was greatly improved when the 1/9^th Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry joined the division as its Pioneer Battalion.[14]  Pioneer Battalions were used on a large scale on the Western Front. Because of its largely static nature, there was a much heavier reliance on field defences and the provision of mobility support to get troops, weapons, ammunition, rations and stores up to the front and casualties out.  Roads and railways needed to be built maintained and repaired.  While these were also engineer tasks, engineers alone could not meet the heavy demand, while riflemen were always needed at the front. Therefore, Pioneer Battalions were raised to meet the needs of both and trained to support both engineers and infantry.

The 461^st Field Company lost 476478 Sapper Joe Couplan, killed in action on 12 March 1918.  Again, while the division was not actively engaged in a major battle at the time, casualties from artillery fire and snipers were expected. 

The early spring of 1918 brought with it some heavy work for Few’s company as it was engaged in three major actions:

· The Battle of Bapaume (24-25 March 1918)

· The Battle of Arras (28 March 1918)

On 31 March 1918 the company lost 476460 Lance Corporal Herbert Booth, who may have died of wounds received at Arras.

· The Battle of Ancre (5 April 1918)

The 461^st Field Company became heavily engaged during the month of June 1918.  It was the month in which the company suffered the most fatal casualties during the war.  The men lost were:

476450 Sapper Israel Averback (7 June 1918)

458120 Sapper Alexander McDonald (9 June 1918)

476633 Driver Joseph Fox Woodhouse (12 June 1918)

476530 Sapper George Harrison Mason (18 July 1918)

· The Battle of Tardenois (20-31 July 1918)

During this battle the company lost three men, all of whom probably died of wounds received in the battle:

476553 Sapper J. Shillaker (1 August 1918)

476473 Sapper William Edwin Clark (1 August 1918)

388784 Driver E.P. Wilkes (2 August 1918)

            Lieutenant Few was himself wounded for the second time on 19 August 1918[15] as his company prepared to become heavily involved in major actions through September.  These included:

· The Battle of Bapaume (31 August – 3 September 1918)

· The Battle of Havrincourt (12 September 1918)

· The Battle of Canal du Nord (27 September – 1 October 1918)

In this last battle the company lost 230486 Sapper H. Nelson, killed in action on the first day.

75^th Divisional Royal Engineers

            Sometime in October 1918 it is believed that Lieutenant Few was transferred to the 75^th Field Company in the Guards Division.[16]  The other engineer units in the division included:[17]

·         55^th Field Company.

·         76^th Field Company.

·         Guards Divisional Signal Company.

·         4^th Battalion (Pioneers), the Coldstream Guards.

Following Few’s transfer to the 75^th Field Company, the unit became heavily engaged in two major actions:[18]

· The Battle of Cambrai (8-9 October 1918)

· The Battle of the Selle (17-25 October 1918)

On 25 October 1918 Few was appointed an Acting Captain and was assigned as the 2^nd in Command of his company.[19]  Presumably this was the result of the previous 2-i-C being wounded or taken ill.  There is no indication that he had been killed.  As 2^nd in Command of the 75^th Field Company he was with the unit in its next major actions.

· The Battle of the Sambre (4 November 1918)

During this battle the company lost 32616 Driver W. Sasson and on 23 November 20933 Driver W.G. Le Lion was lost.

On 11 January 1919 Acting Captain Few was awarded the Military Cross,  The citation for his award, as printed in the London Gazette, read as follows:[20]

The King has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the Military Cross to this Officer for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty on two successive days, both when on reconnaissance and when trying to set the water supply going. He stuck to his work on the well in spite of heavy shell fire (he was twice knocked over), and set a splendid example to those under him. The work was successfully carried out.

Presumably the actions described in the citation were accomplished during the battle of the Somme, on or about 4 November 1918.

When the war ended, Few was still an Acting Captain.  On 14 June he relinquished the acting rank on ceasing to be employed as Second in Command of the 75^th Field Company and reverted to his rank of Temporary Lieutenant.[21] 

As demobilization took place following the war, the 75^th Field Company lost two more men.  The first was 44343 Corporal G.L. Thomas who probably succumbed to the Spanish Influenza on 2 March 1920.  The company’s final loss was 42514 2^nd Corporal John Norman Hamnett who died on 17 January 1921, probably another victim of the flu epidemic.

Lieutenant Few was awarded the 1914-15 Star on 23 March 1920 and the British War Medal and Victory Medal on 24 March 1921.[22]  He relinquished his commission on 1 September 1921 but was granted the rank of Captain upon leaving the Army.[23]

5.  POST SERVICE LIFE

            Few appears to have begun working as an Electrical Engineer following his release from the Army.  He was at that time an Associate Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers and an Associate Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.[24]

            On 17 December 1921 he departed the U.K. aboard the White Star Line S.S. Celtic bound for New York City listing his occupation on the ship’s passenger list as “Electrical Engineer.”  It appears that he remained in the United States to work for at least three years, as he married one Sonia Blazevic on 20 January 1924 in Niagara, New York.

            A U.S. Customs certificate dated 24 July 1935 shows him arriving at Niagara Falls, probably from Canada and in November 1936 he appears to have submitted a U.S. Social Security claim.  This claim indicates that he had worked in the U.S. for some period of time.

            The 1939 England and Wales Register shows him back in England and living at Oaklands in Esher, Surrey.  He is listed as an Electrical and Mechanical Consulting Engineer and his marital status is shown as “divorced.”

            Few married again in 1940 and during the Second World War he served as an Engineer and Director in the Ministry of Supply.  No evidence could be found to indicate whether his position was a military one or whether he served in a civilian capacity.  At the time he also was Director and Chief Engineer in the Abrasives Corporation Ltd. in Tottenham, N17.[25]

            Ernald John Liddon Few died on 15 November 1975 at Hamstead Farm House in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight.  He was buried in the St. Michael the Archangel Churchyard in Shalfleet,  Isle of Wight.[26]

Figure 2.  Few Gravestone in St. Michael the Archangel Churchyard.
(Image courtesy of Find a Grave)

            Probate of Few’s Will took place in Oxford on 28 January 1976.  His Will indicates that he also was known by the name of Ernald Liddon.[27]  His effects amounted to £69,577 (approximately $840,000 US in 2025 currency).  Presumably his effects were left to his wife, although the Probate Calendar does not indicate who his heir was.   

            The following sections are presented in tabular form to summarize Few’s promotions, appointments, and the medals that he was awarded during his time in the Army.  They are provided to give the reader easy access to these aspects of his military career.  The tables are followed by sections dealing with his marriage and personal information.

6.  PROMOTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS

Promotions:  Few received the following promotions during his time in service:

 Appointments:  Few received the following appointments during his time in service:

7. MEDALS, AWARDS AND DECORATIONS 

            For his service during the Great War of 1914-1918, Captain Few was awarded the Military Cross, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.  These medals are shown from left to right in the Figure below.

Figure 3. Medals as Awarded to Captain Few.
(Image from the author’s collection)

NOTE:  The medals shown in the Figure above are not those of Captain Few.  They are presented here for illustrative purposes only. 

Figure 4.  Captain Few’s Medal Index Card.
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com) 

8.  MARRIAGE, FAMILY AND PERSONAL INFORMATION

a. Spouse[28]

            Ernald John Liddon Few married Sonia Blazevic in Niagara, New York on 20 January 1924.  The name Blažević is one of the most common surnames in three counties of Croatia.  It appears that Few must have met her in New York while he was visiting or perhaps working there as a consulting engineer in the early 1920s.  No additional information could be found regarding Sonia or their marriage or any children that they may have had.  What is known is that by 1939 they had been divorced. 

            Few married Frances Ellen Bradley (1908-1996) in Surrey in April 1940.  Ernald and Frances did not have any children.  Frances died on the Isle of Wight.  

b. Siblings[29]

Ernald’s brother Robert Cecil Jebb Few (1901-1983) was born in Wimbledon, Surrey on 31 May 1901.  No evidence could be found of him having any naval or military service.  He was a Solicitor by profession. 

Ernald’s brother Richard Ronald Hamilton Few (1907-1976) was born in Wimbledon, Surrey on 29 November 1907.  He was a Solicitor by profession.  He served as a Temporary Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in World War 2.

Figure 5.  Portrait Photograph of Ernald John Liddon Few.
(Image courtesy of the Imperial War Museum)

REFERENCES: 

Books 

1.      RADLEIAN SOCIETY, THE.  St. Peter’s College Radley Register, 1847-1923.  The University Press, Oxford, 1922.

2.      UNIVERSITY OF LONDON.  University of London Officers Training Corps, 1914-1919.  Military Education Committee of the University of London, London, 1921.

Census  

1.      1901 Census of England (RG 13/657).

2.      1911 Census of England (St. Peter’s College).

3.      1921 Census of England.

4.      1939 England and Wales Register.

Civil Documents 

1.      Border Crossing Certificate: From Canada to the U.S., 1895-1954.

2.      UK, Outward Bound Passenger List, 1890-1960.

3.      New York, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1847-1849, 1907-1936

4.      UK, 1976 Probate Calendar, p. 2764.

5.      U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007.

Family Trees 

Ernald John Liddon Few: Ancestry.com by maryannespratley5. 

Internet Web Sites 

1.      Ancestry.com: Fold3.

https://www.fold3.com/search?docQuery=(filters:!((type:place,values:!((label:United+Kingdom,value:rel.62149)))),keywords:Ernald+John+Liddon+Few)

2.      Wikipedia: Royal School of Mines.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_School_of_Mines

3.      Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

www.cwgc.org

4.      The Long, Long Trail: 62^nd (2^nd West Riding) Division.

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/62nd-2nd-west-riding-division/ 

London Gazette 

1.      The London Gazette, 26 March 1915, p. 2992.

2.      Supplement to the London Gazette, 26 September 1917, p. 9953.

3.      Supplement to the London Gazette, 18 January 1918, p. 966.

4.      Supplement to the London Gazette, 28 November 1918, p. 14052.

5.      Supplement to the London Gazette, 11 January 1919, p. 618.

6.      Supplement to the London Gazette, 30 July 1919, p. 9819.

7.      Supplement to the London Gazette, 21 November 1921, p. 9230.

8.      The London Gazette, 22 May 1945, p. 2644.

9.      The London Gazette, 14 December 1954, p. 7122.

Military Documents 

1.      Medal Index Card.

2.      Royal Engineers Medal Roll: 1914-15 Star.

3.      Royal Engineers Medal Roll: British War Medal and Victory Medal.

4.      War Office Daily Casualty List No.5647.

5.      U.K. Navy List, February 1944, p. 1211.

Periodicals 

Battle Honours of the Royal Engineers.  The Royal Engineers Journal.  The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1925-1932.

ENDNOTES: