The Murton brothers who died on the same day at Loos in World War I

On October 13, 1915 brothers Ernest and Bertie Murton died fighting with the Norfolk Regiment in the Battle of Loos. Ernest, the elder of the two was Lance Corporal and aged 28 and his younger brother Bertie who was a private and aged 21 dies on the same day. Ernest was survived by his wife Alice and their two-year-old daughter Irene, who lived at Lawson Road in Norwich at the time.

Eastern Daily Press online roll of honour lists almost 25000 brave Norfolk and Suffolk men who lost their lives during the First World War. Hellesdon man Graham Cutting uploaded the picture of his grandfather Ernest and great uncle Bertie to the Eastern Daily Press.

Mr Cutting said the Eastern Daily, “I just thought I would put it all on there, after my wife saw it in the paper. They died on the same day and neither of them was ever found. Whether they were together or not when they died I don’t know”

He added that during the death of his grandfather his mother was only two and now she is 101. She didn’t really know her father; all she knew about him was from her mother. He thinks that both his grandfather and his great uncle should be remembered for their sacrifice and service to the country, the Eastern Daily Press reports.

Ernest Murton used to work for the Eastern Counties Newspapers that published Eastern Daily Press and Norwich Evening News before it became known as Archant. His name is listed in the company’s memorial at its headquarters at Prospect House in Rouen Road, Norwich.

Mr Cutting thinks that Ernest used to work as a type setter on the print side of the company. Ernest and Bertie had two more brothers, Sidney who fought in the war survived it where as their youngest brother was too young to take part in the war.

Ian Harvey

Ian Harvey is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE