Ernest Seaman VC

Ernest Seaman was born near Norwich, Norfolk on 16 August 1893. Originally he enlisted into the Army Service Corps as a baker, later transferring to The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers when he was medically certified as fit for duty with, for example, an infantry battalion in the front line. He was a 25 year-old Lance Corporal with the 2nd Battalion The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers when he was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at Terhand, Belgium on 29 September 1918. His award was published in the Supplement to The London Gazette, 15 November 1918, which stated:

No. 42364 L./Cpl. Ernest Seaman, late R.
Innis. Fus. (Scole, Norfolk).
For most conspicuous bravery and devotion
to duty. When the right flank of his
company was held up by a nest of enemy
machine-guns, he, with great courage and
initiative, rushed forward under heavy fire
with his Lewis gun and engaged the posi-
tion single-handed, capturing two machine
guns and twelve prisoners and killing one
officer and two men.
Later in the day he again rushed another
enemy machine-gun position, capturing the
gun under heavy fire. He was killed immediately
after.
His courage and dash were beyond all
praise, and it was entirely due to the very
gallant conduct of L/C Seaman that his
company was enabled to push forward to
its objective and capture many prisoners.

He is remembered on Panel 70 to 72 of the Tyne Cot Memorial in Belgium and his Victoria Cross, is in the collection of the Officers Mess, Headquarters, the Royal Logistics Corps, Camberley, Surrey, England.