ERNEST ROLLINGS - Microsoft · 2018-09-14 · ERNEST ROLLINGS†THE POLICEMAN “WHO ENDED THE...

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ERNEST ROLLINGS

THE POLICEMAN “WHO ENDED THE WAR”

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E R N E S T R O L L I N G S • T H E P O L I C E M A N “ W H O E N D E D T H E W A R ”

At one stage during my time asDirector of Corporate and LegalServices in South Wales Police Ihad responsibility for the Force’sMuseum.

Whilst I had had an interest inthe Museum since I joined theforce in 1986, it was only thenthat I paid particular attention to itand its collections.

One day I was strollingthrough the Museum in thebasement of the main building ofPolice Headquarters at Bridgendwhen my attention was drawn tosome exhibits in one of the glasscases. There was an ornate casketwith scenes of Neath on its sidesand a set of First World Warmedals which included a MilitaryCross with a Bar to it whichmeant that the holder had beenawarded it twice.

The card which described theexhibits referred to an ErnestJames Rollings, a formerGlamorgan and Neath policemanwho, it was said, was “The ManWho Won the War”. I smiled atwhat I thought was a piece ofenthusiastic exaggeration.

However, further along in theMuseum was a notice advertising

the presentation to Ernest of theFreedom of the Borough of Neathon 20th January 1932 and aframed scroll extendingcongratulations to him from theChief Constable and officers ofthe Neath Borough Police.

The next development cameafter the establishing in 2014 ofSouth Wales Police’s First WorldWar Project Group which I havechaired. There was some publicityas to our work and one day theForce Museum received an e mailfrom Anne Day, Ernest’sgranddaughter.

A meeting with Anne wasarranged and from there hasdeveloped a close connectionaimed at ensuring that hergrandfather’s bravery during theFirst World War is not forgotten.

In this booklet we have soughtto tell Ernest’s story. Here was aman from a relatively humblebackground who became apoliceman, joined the army at thestart of the First World War andbecame in the 1930’s recognisedas a national hero-“The Man WhoEnded the War”.

Yet despite the attention of thepress he remained, what he was

INTRODUCTION

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always to be, a quiet, unassumingman. His exploits were, however,anything but ordinary and hisbravery deserves to beremembered. In doing so we mustnot forget that he was severelywounded in 1918 and yetreturned to being a policemanafter it. Typical of his generation,duty and sacrifice were ingrainedin him.

We hope that these few pageswill do justice to his memory.

Gareth Madge OBEChair, First World War Project GroupSouth Wales Police

Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to Anne Daywho has provided us with awealth of information includingpress cuttings, documents andphotographs. The South WalesPolice Heritage Centre (as itsMuseum is now known) isfortunate to have these itemsdeposited with it. Other itemsrelating to Ernest, notably hismedals, Freedom of Neath casketand revolver had previously beendeposited with the Museum byErnest’s son, Geoffrey, Anne’sfather.

Framerville, France, the place where Ernest’s exploits made him famous. This photograph, taken in June 2018, should be compared with that of the same scenetaken on 11th August 1918 which appears on page 15

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Ernest was born on 15thSeptember 1893 in CotterellStreet in Hereford. He was theson of Ernest Thomas Rollings,who was from Heyop nearKnighton in Radnorshire, andEmma Rollings (nee Gittings) whowas also from Radnorshire havingbeen born in Womaston, nearPresteigne.

At the time of the census of1901 Ernest and his parents andhis sister, Mabel Evelyn, then twoyears of age, were living at 7Brecon Street in Canton inCardiff, where Ernest’s father wasa policeman with the Cardiff CityPolice.

Ernest later lived in Knightonand worked as a Post Officemessenger and telegram boythere.

At somestage ErnestleftKnightonsince, on19thDecember1910 hejoined theGreatWestern

Railway Company as a porter atAbertillery. The following year’scensus shows that he was living inlodgings at 10 Argyle Street in thetown.

Ernest then achieved apromotion and an increase in hispay when he became a parcelporter with the Great Western inCardiff in June 1911.

He was there for just over twoyears before he resigned in July1913 in order to follow in hisfather’s footsteps and become apoliceman.

EARLY YEARS

Ernest as a young messenger boy Ernest the railway porter

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Ernest joined the GlamorganConstabulary on 28th July 1913when he was nineteen years ofage and was serving at Caeraunear Maesteg at the outbreak ofwar in August 1914.

Many policemen from thepolice forces of South Wales werereservists and were re-called forservice. Ernest, however,

volunteered in responseto the call by theSecretary of State forWar, Lord Kitchener, formen to come forwardto help the regular armyfight what he foresaw asbeing a long war.

Ernest as PC 597 Glamorgan Constabulary

Ernest later wrote:

“I always feel a sense of deepsatisfaction that I was one of thefirst 100,000 of Kitchener’sVolunteers when the appeal wasmade shortly after the outbreakof the war….I had made up mymind beforehand to join acavalry regiment, in order to getriding experience should I returnto the police force after thewar.” (“Western Mail” 13thMarch 1958)

And so it was that Ernest, withthe consent of his ChiefConstable, resigned from thepolice on 30th October 1914 tojoin the army.

POLICEMAN (PART 1)

Glamorgan policemen armed in readiness for wartime emergencies. Ernest is pictured third from the right in the second row.

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FROM THE CAVALRYTO THE INFANTRYErnest’s attestation on enlisting inthe army was taken at Bridgendon 11th November 1914 and heformally joined it the following dayat Newport.

Ernest had his wish to join thecavalry since he was then postedas Trooper 5794 to the 2ndReserve Cavalry Regiment forinitial training before he was tojoin the 2nd Dragoon Guards (theQueen’s Bays). In the event Ernestdidn’t go on active service withthem since, in June 1915, hetransferred to the King’s OwnYorkshire Light Infantry. Ernestsaid of this:

“About March 1915, after I hadqualified as a mounted soldier,there came a call for men tovolunteer for infantry regiments,who were desperately short ofreinforcements. There werecertain inducements offeredsuch as a choice of regiment,and the continuation of ourcavalry pay of 1s 2d per dayagainst that of the infantryman’sshilling. The other thing thatpersuaded many to volunteerwas the fear at that time thewar might end before we sawanything of it…..

Bearing all these things in mind,I volunteered and expressed verydefinitely my desire to be postedto The Welch Regiment. To mygreat disappointment I was sentto the King’s Own YorkshireLight Infantry.” (Western Mail13th March 1958)

He went to France on 27thJuly 1915 to serve with the 2ndBattalion of the regiment asPrivate 23336. He said of thistime:

“….I found myself up at thefront lines and doing relief in thetrenches combined with theusual trench raids for prisoners.”(Western Mail 13th March1958)

He was clearly a highlyregarded soldier because, inSeptember, he was promoted toLance Corporal.

During the following month,however, he was admitted tohospital before being evacuated toEngland on 2nd November. Whilsthis army records state that thiswas due to “lumbago” Ernest laterstated:

“I spent most of my time in theArras, La Bassee, Armentieresarea until October 1915, when Igot a “Blighty” wound while, as

SOLDIER

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a corporal, I was in charge of awiring party repairing the barbedwire in front of our trenches.”(Western Mail 13th March1958)

As he then spent a number ofmonths in England following hisevacuation, it seems likely that hisaccount of the wound as being thereason for it, is correct.

On 21st May 1916, whilst stillin England, Ernest, then a LanceCorporal in 3rd (Reserve)

Battalion of the King’s OwnYorkshire Light Infantry, appliedfor a commission. He wasaccepted and joined the Number5 Officer Cadet Battalion at TrinityCollege, Cambridge on 5thOctober 1916.

On 31st January 1917 Ernestwas commissioned as an officerand became a Second Lieutenantin the Machine Gun Corps (HeavyBranch) which was to become theTank Corps in July 1917.

Ernest the cavalryman in November 1914

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“C” BATTALION OFTHE TANK CORPSErnest returned to France on 25thApril 1917 and joined “C”Battalion the following month.The Glamorgan Gazette for 18thMay reported:

“P.C. E.J. Rollings was stationedat Maesteg when he joined theArmy after the outbreak of war.He is now a second-lieutenant,and is serving with the “Tanks.”In a letter to P.S. Jacob Loveluck,Bridgend, he says, ‘I am incharge of a ‘bus. We have quitea good time compared with theinfantry, and the pay is better.Please remember me to all Iknow.’”

Each of the Battalions of theTank Corps were initiallyidentified by alphabetical letterand each tank in a battalion wouldbe identified with names beginningwith the corresponding letter.Thus, on 31st July 1917, the firstday of the Third Battle of Ypres,often referred to asPasschendaele, Ernest was incommand of a supply tank called“Celerity”.

Later, on 21st/22nd August1917, during the Ypres battle,Ernest again commanded

“Celerity” during an offensiveoperation in support of infantry.The Battalion’s CommandingOfficer, in his report on the action,singled Ernest out for particularpraise for the assistance he gavewhen the tanks had to cross theSteenbekke river:

“ ..it was only by the mostsuperhuman efforts of theSection Commander, Lt Murray-Menzies, the assistance of the184th Tunnelling Company, andthe help rendered by speciallyprepared “Pioneer Tank”, under2/Lt. E. J. Rollings, that thesetanks were eventually movedacross the River.”

“Pioneer” Tank Celerity.Commander, 2/Lt. E.J. Rollings.This tank was loaded withsleepers, fascines, sandbags etc.,and performed invaluable workin helping the fighting tanksacross the Steenbekke, and intowing several tanks out ofdifficulties. Without theassistance thus rendered, it isdoubtful if any of these tankswould have arrived as far as ourown front line.”

Ernest was awarded theMilitary Cross for his actions on21st/22nd August. The citationreads:

“For conspicuous gallantry anddevotion to duty. Hecommanded his Tanks in difficultground and under heavy shellfire with the greatest courageand perseverance, helping themout of many difficulties andkeeping them in action by hissplendid personal energy andfearlessness. After he hadcompleted his duties, he wentback to assist a seriouslywounded officer and several menwho were still under heavy shellfire.” (London Gazette 18thOctober 1917/EdinburghGazette 11th March 1918).

Later in 1917, between 20thand 27th November, Ernest tookpart in the massed tank actionduring the Battle of Cambrai. He was in Number 8 Section of Number 8 Company and

commanded tank “Cyclops”. Itseems that all of the tanks in thecompany breached the enemy’sfront line but Ernest’s tank andanother appear to have ditchedbefore reaching the next line.

On 19th January 1918 Ernestreturned once more to England tobecome part of 17th Battalion ofthe Tank Corps.

Ernest wearing the Military Cross hewas awarded for his actions during theThird Battle of Ypres

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This picture of a tank is in a scrapbook which Ernest kept. It’s not known if it’s one of the tanks he commanded in “C” Battalion

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17TH (ARMOUREDCAR) BATTALION OFTHE TANK CORPSThe Battalion was formed atBovington Camp in Dorset on16th April 1918.

It was originally to be issuedwith Whippet tanks but in theevent received Austin armouredcars. These were originallydestined for Russia but were notsent due to the revolution there inOctober 1917. They wereequipped with two Hotchkiss gunsmounted in turrets and had a topspeed of around 30mph.

The Battalion was commandedby Lieutenant Colonel E.J. Carter.

He was a pre-war officerwho had beencommissioned into theDevonshire Regimentbefore transferring to the

13th Hussars. During thewar he transferred to the

Machine Gun Corps (HeavyBranch) and then served with itand the Tank Corps until the endof the war. He continued to servein the army after the war. He hadbeen Ernest’s Companycommander in “C” Battalion.

The Battalion was equippedwith 16 armoured cars plus

assorted support vehicles. It had acomplement of over 200 officersand men.

Carter and his men were givenvery little time to get the Battaliontogether and they went to Franceon 26th April 1918.

They spent May in training,especially in gunnery and mapreading, and during June and Julyoperated in support of Frenchforces.

In due course the Battalionbecame part of the British 4thArmy commanded by General SirHenry Rawlinson which waspreparing for the major Alliedoffensive which became known asthe Battle of Amiens.

Austin armoured cars of the 17th Battalion onreconnaissance, 25th August 1918 © IWM (Q7036)

LieutenantColonelCarter

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THE BATTLE OFAMIENS AND THERAID ONFRAMERVILLEErnest was in charge of twoarmoured cars comprisingNumber 8 Section of “B”Company of the 17th Battalionwhich was attached to the 5thAustralian Division as part of theAustralian Corps under GeneralMonash.

On 8th August 1918 Ernest ledhis section in raids in support ofAustralian forces as part of theBattle of Amiens.

Ernest’s section was made up of:

Number 1 car: This consistedof Ernest (commander),Corporal MacNicholl (frontdriver), Private Huntbatch (leftgunner), Private Johnson (rightgunner) and Private W.H.Wells (rear driver).

Number 2 car: in this wereLance Corporal C.F. Rhodes(commander), Private Haynes(front driver), Private Sayer(left gunner), Private H.Mottram (right gunner) andPrivate Redpath (rear driver).

It had been widely predictedthat the war would continue into

the summer of 1919 at theearliest. However, all that was tochange as a result of the “FinalHundred Days” that began withthe start of the Battle of Amienson 8th August when the Alliedforces achieved great success .The German General, Ludendorff,later said that:

“8th August was the black dayof the German Army-theEmperor told me later on, afterthe failure of the July offensive,and after August 8th, he knewthe war could be no longerwon.”

Just after dawn on the 8thBritish, Australian and CanadianDivisions along with French forcesattacked the Germans. TheAustralian forces in particularwere very successful and soonbreached the German defences.

The 16 armoured cars of 17thBattalion were to carry outoperations in support of theAustralian 5th Division. Twelvewere to undertake offensiveoperations, six of which were tooperate north of the old Romanroad between Amiens in the westand St. Quentin in the east, andsix, including those commandedby Ernest, were to go south of theroad. The remaining four cars

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were to carry out a long distancereconnaissance role on behalf ofthe Corps HQ.

In order to get the armouredcars into action it was necessaryfor them to negotiate groundwhich had been broken up byartillery fire and so tanks wereused to tow them in the initialstages so that they could getthrough to passable roads.

However, some of those wereblocked by fallen trees andbranches which had been hit byartillery fire. The larger ones wereremoved by the tanks. Thearmoured cars had axes and guncotton to assist with the removalof the smaller trees and branches.

Ernest had received specificorders to head for Framerville, avillage some ten miles behind theGerman lines. It was known tocontain a German CorpsHeadquarters.

By noon Ernest and his carshad fought their way through tothe village. Ernest entered theGerman Headquarters alone. Hefound that the German staff hadfled leaving behind considerablequantities of maps, plans andother documents which he putinto sandbags.

Ernest, in an article whichappeared in the Western Mail on14th March 1958 gave a vividdescription of what occurred thatday:

“Amiens, August 8, 1918. Theattack was on a one mile frontwith the object of freeingAmiens and the Amiens-Parisrailway. If it was successful, ouradvance could be exploited in asecond thrust towards the St.Quentin-Cambrai line. As at theBattle of Cambrai, there was tobe no long preliminarybombardment, so that nowarning would be given to theGermans.

Zero hour was 4.45am. A massof 415 tanks had been moved upclose behind our lines withoutthe enemy scenting danger.

Suddenly, shortly before zerohour, the German front lineswere drenched by our massedartillery fire along the elevenmile front. Before they had timeto recover their wits, waves ofour tanks were upon them.

Great havoc was wrought upontheir front line positions by thetanks crushing the machine gunemplacements and strongpoints…..

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After the attack had been inprogress for some time, mybattalion of armoured carsbegan moving forward. We weretowed by the tanks for aconsiderable distance, until wereached reasonably crater freeroads on which we couldproceed under our own power…

I was ordered to make for avillage named Framerville, whereit was known that there was aGerman Corps headquarters…

My orders were quite specific: ifI could reach the Germanheadquarters I was to obtain anypossible information and bring itback.

Major Boucher also handed tome an Australian flag, laughinglysuggesting I should fix it on theheadquarters to show the BritishArmy had arrived.

That evening I got my sectiontogether and explained the partwe were expected to carry out inthe battle. After this, andexplanations on any doubtfulpoints, I asked for volunteers toman the two cars.

I required nine with myself-fivein each car. The response wasbeyond expectations, and I hadmuch difficulty in deciding who

was to be left behind: they wereall most anxious to go.

Good fortune was ours at dawnon zero morning. We got on tothe main road behind theGermans’ front, passing streamsof traffic heading for their line.There was a continuous stream,and never have I seen so manylimbers etc. drawn by bullocks…

Upon arrival we immediatelylocated the headquarters withlittle difficulty because of thestaff cars and general activitythere.

It was situated in a farmhouse.After circling the village for sometime firing at the many easytargets, and killing largenumbers of Germans, I sprayedthe doors and windows of theheadquarters with machine gunfire and pulled my car upalongside the door.

With the gunners of both mycars keeping a sharp lookout forany likely interruption fromoutside, I entered the building,revolver in hand, wonderingwhat sort of greeting I wouldreceive.

To my relief there was no sign oflife. The enemy had evidentlytaken fright hearing and seeing

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armoured cars upon them sosuddenly.

On entering the room I saw lotsof papers, maps and officeequipment. I collected all I couldin the way of documents andmaps and handed them to themen in the car outside, whopacked them in sandbags.

I recall making three journeysback to the car at the door withmaterial I thought might beuseful, including the telephone. Idid not go upstairs, but made athorough search downstairs,being quite satisfied to leave itat that…

Before leaving I did fix theAustralian flag over theheadquarters to the satisfactionof my major. When our owntroops arrived in the village 48hours later the flag was stillflying.

After nearly three hours inhostile territory we did a finalshoot up of enemy in the areaand made our way back towardsour own lines-still passingGerman transport going up tothe battlefront.

Once we had got our side of itmy gunners really got to work.They created enormous havoc,

which must have had an effecton the battle then raging. Manyhundreds of rounds were fired,and terrific carnage caused,really beyond description, bothon roads and on each side ofthem.

On the last few hundred yardswe collected over 200 prisoners,who came with their hands upand actually formed themselvesinto a body, marching towardsour lines, covered by ourarmoured cars. The infantrythen took them over and weproceeded to our headquarters.

My report and our capturedmaterial were sent to theheadquarters of GeneralMonash, of the AustralianCorps, for examination…..

What were my feelings when Iwalked into that farmhouse?

I would be a very foolish man tosay that I didn’t have butterfliesin my stomach. But my controlover such occasions stood me ingood stead-apart from the factthat, however frightened I mayhave been, I daren’t show it infront of my men. Besides, havinggot so close to my objective, Ihad to take the remaining fewsteps-and damn theconsequences”.

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Ernest was awarded a secondMilitary Cross for his actions on8th August. The citation for itread:

“For conspicuous gallantry incommand of a section ofarmoured cars during an attack.He took his section across theshelled area with skill andcourage, and penetrated avillage strongly held by theenemy, killing many of them andstampeding a quantity oftransport. He sent back reportsof great value, and finallyextricated and brought back hiscars without a casualty.”(London Gazette 2nd December 1918)

Map showing Ernest’s area of operations on 8th August 1918

Armoured car on the main Amiens to St. Quentin road, 8th August 1918

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PRIVATE 309267WILLIAM HENRY WELLS(NUMBER 1 CAR)

He was living at WaltonHeath near Epsom inSurrey when he joined thearmy at Guildford inOctober 1915. He was amotor mechanic at thattime. Served as Private10167 in the Royal FlyingCorps. Spent his service inEngland before he wastransferred to the TankCorps in March 1918 andthen went to France withthe 17th Battalion in April1918. Discharged from thearmy after the end of thewar.

LANCE CORPORAL 304356 CECIL RHODES(NUMBER 2 CAR)

He was from Manchesterand joined the army inSeptember 1914. He was achauffeur in civilian life. Heserved as Private 12395 inthe 10th Battalion of theWest Yorkshire Regimentand went to France in July1915. He was latertransferred to the TankCorps. He was awardedthe Military Medal for hisaction on 8th August 1918.He was discharged fromthe army after the end ofthe war.

PRIVATE 304396 HENRY MOTTRAM(NUMBER 2 CAR)

He was originally fromManchester and joined thearmy in September 1915.He originally served in theRoyal Army Medical Corpsas Private 760 in the 2/3rdEast Lancashire FieldAmbulance. In January1917 he transferred to theMachine Gun Corps asPrivate 92691. InSeptember 1917 hetransferred to the RoyalBerkshire Regiment asPrivate 38209 beforetransferring to the TankCorps in December 1917.He was discharged fromthe army after the end ofthe war.

The scene in Framerville on 11th August 1918 after the raid

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ACHIET-LE-PETITAND AFTERWARDSErnest was not to remain inFrance for much longer after theevents of 8th August.

On 21st August 1918 Ernest’ssection was in action near theArras to Bapaume road. It was at9.30am that morning, in the smallvillage of Achiet-le-Petit, that thearmoured cars of the 17thBattalion came under attack fromGerman artillery. Ernest’s car wasone of two that received direct hits.

Ernest was severely woundedwith shell splinters in his head andback. He was initially treated in aField Ambulance and CasualtyClearing Station and then taken tothe Number 8 Red Cross Hospitalat Boulogne prior to beingevacuated to England on 26thAugust.

He was subsequently treatedat the 2nd Western GeneralHospital in Manchester andconvalesced at the St. John’sAuxiliary Hospital in Llandaff inCardiff.

Cavalry resting in the churchyard at Achiet-le-Petit on 21st August 1918, the day Ernest was wounded. © IWM (Q11220)

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He spent several monthsrecovering from his injuries andthen, in 1919, he returned to the17th Battalion which was inIreland during the time of theunrest there. It was whilst he wasthere that he married MaryMargaret French in Cork.

Another notable event forErnest in 1919 was that he tookpart in the Victory Parade held inLondon on 19th July to mark thesigning of the Peace Treaty and theend of the war. Ernest proudly leda column of tanks in the parade.

Ernest was discharged frommilitary service on 13th January1920 and resumed his duties as apoliceman.

Achiet-le-Petit, June 2018

Ernest, indicated, at the Victory Parade, 19th July 1919

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A photo from Ernest’s scrapbook with an endorsement by him

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FROM THEGLAMORGANPOLICE TO NEATH POLICEAfter the end of the war Ernestre-joined the GlamorganConstabulary and served in theSwansea Valley for a time.

Ernest’s daughter, Dorothy,was born in 1920 but sadly hiswife died the following year.

Ernest was stationed at BritonFerry when, in November 1922, it

became part of the Borough ofNeath as a result of changes tolocal government boundaries.Consequently, Ernest transferredto the Borough police force on8th November.

For over a year after histransfer, in addition to his policeduties, Ernest undertookresponsibilities in relation to thefire brigade in Neath. Until theformation of the National FireService in 1941 borough chiefconstables were often chief fireofficers as well, with responsibilityfor fire brigades in their areas.

In April 1925 Ernest marriedJennie North Smith in Neath. Shewas 23 years of age and had beenborn in Chatham in Kent. She andErnest were to have a son,Geoffrey, who was born in 1928.

During this period Ernest’spolice career was also progressingas he was promoted Sergeant in1926 and made Chief Clerk to theChief Constable which was, nodoubt, an important position in asmall borough force and areflection of the regard in whichhe was held.

Soon, however, there was tobe a development which wouldhave an even greater impact onErnest’s life.

POLICEMAN (PART 2)

Ernest as Sergeant 3 in the Neath Borough Police

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THE SUNDAYEXPRESS 8TH NOVEMBER 1931On 8th November 1931, theSunday Express revealed what hadhappened during Ernest’s raid onFramerville in 1918 which, it wassaid, had hastened the end of thewar. An appeal was made forinformation regarding “The ManWho Ended The War”.

The story had unfolded at thistime since a man who had servedwith the Royal Air Force as amechanic during the war, hadgone to the Sunday Express with ashorthand note which he hadtaken of a briefing which a Major

D. P. Stevenson of 35 Squadronhad given to his officers and menat 9.30pm on 28th September1918. This was on the nightbefore the great Allied assaultwhich broke the Germandefences of the Hindenburg Line.This is what he was recorded ashaving said:

“You see those flashes? They arethe guns which for forty eighthours have been drenching theHindenburg Line with gas andhigh explosives.

It was the original intention ofGHQ to cross the HindenburgLine and winter on the otherside in a position favourable toourselves and unfavourable to

Ernest (second row, far left) at a civic ceremony in Neath

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the Bosch. These plans havebeen changed.

A subaltern took some papersfrom a German staff officer.They were found to contain acomplete plan of the defences ofthe Hindenburg Line.

Every machine gun, trenchmortar, and battery position wasmarked; the places where thetroops were to be billeted andthe places where they were todraw rations were marked.Naturally it remained to beproved that these plans wereauthentic.

It was the work of this squadron,together with the squadrons onthe right and on the left, to testthat document.

We found that the positionstallied with the positions on theplan. So that we have acomplete key to the strongestfortress Germany ever had.

Foch has decided to push onthrough the Hindenburg Line.We now have drawn up thelargest army we ever had on ourside on the Western Front.

Tomorrow morning, at zero, thewhole Allied line, from the sea toChampagne, will go forward. Weare, as it were, the hub of the

whole operation. Nobody mustspare himself, either body orbrain, from tomorrow, in orderthat things may work assmoothly as oil.

You may have to go on for sixweeks, but I think that at theend of that time you will havereason to be satisfied with yourwork.

Highly placed officers have saidto me that they consider itpossible that this battle, whichwill be the biggest fight from thebeginning of history, will end thewar.

Be that as it may, you need haveno doubt but that you are on thewinning side. The German isbeaten stiff. We shall cross theHindenburg Line tomorrow, andit is hoped that we shall advancefrom eight to ten miles. And itwill be God help the Germans.

Goodnight, gentlemen.”

The Sunday Express concludedits report by saying:

“..where is the subaltern whoended the war? The ’SundayExpress’ invites him to comeforward and take his place inhistory.”

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Sunday Express 8th November 1931


THE SUNDAY EXPRESS15TH NOVEMBER 1931The following Sunday, 15thNovember, the paper was able toreveal that the man concernedwas Ernest.

The paper said that scores ofyoung officers had sent in theirdetails claiming to be the officerbut, after what the paperdescribed as “..a careful and

exhaustive investigation”, it wassatisfied that it was Ernest whohad been responsible for thecapture of the secret documents.It was emphasised that it wasn’tErnest himself who had put hisown name forward but that hehad been identified by aLieutenant J.T. Yeoman who hadserved with Ernest in ”C”Battalion of the Tank Corps andlater in the 17th (Armoured Car)Battalion. Further verification ofErnest’s identity came fromLieutenant Colonel Carter,Ernest’s Company Commander

in “C” Battalion and CommandingOfficer of the 17thBattalion at thetime of the raid.

The newspaperhad also madecontact withErnest. Many yearslater formerConstable CharlesThomas Little of theNeath Policerecalled taking atelephone call froma reporter whowanted to speak to

Ernest who was initially reluctantto do so but eventually did.

Sunday Express 15th November 1931

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LADY HOUSTONOn Monday, 16th November,1931, the Daily Express announcedthat a Lady Houston had comeforward and was going to make apayment of £5000 to Ernest as amark of her appreciation of hisbravery. The same day hersecretary wrote to the NewsEditor of the Sunday Express with acheque and said:

“Lady Houston sends her heartyand most appreciativecongratulations to ‘The Manwho ended the War’ and begshis acceptance of a little nestegg to put aside for a rainy day.”

Lady Houston was aremarkable woman. She was bornFanny Lucy Radmall in SouthLondon in 1857, the daughter of awarehouseman and draper.

As a 16 year old chorus girlknown as Poppy she eloped toParis with Frederick Gretton, thewealthy and married son of apartner in the Bass brewingcompany. They never married buthe left her £6000 a year for life inhis will when he died in 1882.

In 1883 she married aTheodore Brinkman who shedivorced in 1895. Then in 1901,she married her second husband,

George Frederick William Byron,9th Baron Byron of Rochdale.

She was a supporter of thewomen’s suffrage movement andtheir campaign for votes forwomen.

During the First World Warshe opened a rest home fornurses returning from the frontline. This led to her being madeone of the first five Dames of theBritish Empire when the Orderwas established in 1917, the yearin which Lord Byron died.

She married for a third time in1924 when Sir Robert Houston, aLiverpool ship owner and MPdescribed as “hard and ruthless,”became her husband.

It was said that he onceshowed her his will leaving her £1million but that she tore it in halfsaying “If I’m only worth a million,then I’m worth nothing at all!”

Lady Houston

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However, when Sir Robertdied in 1926 he left her £5.5million out of his fortune of £7million making her, it was said atthe time, the nation’s richestwoman.

In 1931 she donated £100,000to Supermarine so that they couldcontinue research anddevelopment into the seaplanewhich won the Schneider Trophy

for the fastest such aircraft afterthe Government had initiallywithdrawn backing for it.

This work which went into theseaplane eventually enabledSupermarine to develop theSpitfire in time for the Battle ofBritain in 1940. She is, therefore,often referred to as “the saviourof the Spitfire.”

In 1932 she offered to give the

Daily Express 22nd November 1931

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British government £200,000 tostrengthen the army and navy.

She was so upset by theabdication of King Edward VIII in1936 that she stopped eating. Shedied of a heart attack inDecember that year aged 79.

On Friday 20th NovemberErnest was presented with LadyHouston’s gift of £5000 before apacked audience at the EmpireCinema in Neath and in thepresence of the Borough’s Mayor,the Chief Constable P.D. Keep,the Editor of the Sunday Expressand Lieutenant Yeoman. LadyHouston couldn’t be there as wasshe was ill.

The Sunday Express of 22November carried an account ofthe event written the previousday:

“All Neath turned out last nightto honour Lieutenant E.J.Rollings MC, ‘The Man whoEnded the War’, and to see himreceive from the Mayor of Neaththe cheque for £5000 sent byLady Houston to the SundayExpress as ‘a tribute to hiscourage and a little nest egg forhis future….

The hall was packed to thedoors. Thousands of people who

could not gain admittancethronged the streets outside,and Lieutenant Rollings, in theold uniform he wore in his nowfamous raid, was broughtthrough the cheering crowdsamid a procession of fellowmembers of the Neath BoroughPolice force and local ex-servicemen, headed by a band…

When Lieutenant Rollingsstepped on the platform therewas a hurricane of cheers, andthe audience rose and sang withenthusiasm ‘For he’s a JollyGood Fellow.’….

Lieutenant Rollings, who wasreceived with tremendousenthusiasm, said:

‘It requires far more courage tostand here than it did to raidthose German headquartersnine miles behind the Germanlines….

As a police officer I would like toimpress upon you all that this isthe first house I have everburgled, and I never til nowknew the value of the swag’…

…an enormous crowd waited inthe street until nearly midnightto cheer Lieutenant Rollings onhis journey home.”


Following the publicity in theSunday Express and the DailyExpress the story was picked upby newspapers all over thecountry. Ernest became famous.

The people of his home townof Neath also wanted to recogniseErnest’s wartime bravery. Aspecial meeting of the Borough’scouncil was held on 30thNovember 1931 when it wasresolved to grant Ernest theHonorary Freedom of theBorough.

On 8th December 1931 theNeath Police made their owncontribution to his recognition byholding a dinner in his honour atwhich he was presented with anilluminated address on behalf ofthe Chief Constable and otherofficers.

The necessary ceremony tobestow the Freedom of theBorough on Ernest took place atthe Gwyn Hall in Neath on 20thJanuary 1932. Again therewas a packed audienceand local dignitarieswere present,including the ChiefConstable andLieutenantColonelCarter.

The Neath Guardian in itsedition of 22nd January 1932reported on the ceremony:

“The Mayor said they werebestowing on Sergeant Rollingsthe highest honour the towncould give him as a recognitionof an act of his which, accordingto the opinion of experts,terminated the war at least 18months to two years earlier thanwould have been the case. Hefelt they were doing the rightthing in recognising with theFreedom of the Borough an actwhich saved, at the very leastthe loss of half a million lives.He himself had been the moverof the resolution conferring theFreedom on Sergeant Rollings.”

Ernest was presented with theScript of Admission and a silvercasket. In responding he said that:

“ …words failed him in trying toexpress to them his appreciationof the great honour they hadbestowed on him in counting

him among the small bandof distinguishedcitizens of the

ancient borough.”

The Freedomcasket

FURTHER RECOGNITION

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The illuminated address presented to Ernest by members of the Neath Borough Police

Poster advertising the Freedom ceremony

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ERNESTCONTINUES HISPOLICE DUTIES Despite his fame and fortuneErnest continued to serve thepeople of Neath as a policeman.

In addition he maintainedcontact with old comrades. Hewas one of several formermembers of the Tank Corps whocame together in Swansea in 1934to form a South Wales Branch ofits Old Comrades Club.

In November 1935 Ernestattended the sixth annual dinnerof the Royal Tank Corps OldComrades Club in London. Alsopresent was Lieutenant-GeneralSir Hugh Elles who had been thefirst commanding officer of theTank Corps and had personally ledits tanks, including Ernest’s, intoaction at the Battle of Cambrai in1917, and General Sir ArchibaldMontgomery-Massingberd whowas the Chief of Staff to SirHenry Rawlinson at thetime of theBattle

of Amiens and who was, by 1935,Chief of the Imperial GeneralStaff.

Ernest’s police careercontinued on its successful path.He was promoted to Inspector in1937 and when he retired fromthe Neath Borough Police in 1943,he was its Acting Chief Constable.

The menu card for the re-union inLondon in 1935 in the shape of a FirstWorld War tank. The reverse has theautographs of Sir Hugh Elles and SirArchibald Montgomery-Massingberd

The gathering of old comrades in Swansea in 1934. Ernest is sitting middle row third from the left.


Following his retirement from thepolice in 1943 Ernest became aninvestigator with the Board ofTrade where he worked for thenext 6 years before finally retiringin 1949.

After the Home Guard was re-constituted in the early 1950’s, inresponse to the Cold War, heserved with its 8th GlamorganBattalion and held the rank ofMajor before the organisation wasfinally stood down in 1957.

From time to time there werearticles in newspapers thatremembered his exploits duringthe First World War. On 12th

March 1958 the Western Mailpublished an article entitled “Youmay owe your life to this man”which introduced articles byErnest himself which were toappear over the next two daysand in which he gave detaileddescriptions of his joining thearmy and the raid on Framerville,which were quoted earlier in thisbooklet.

Ernest enjoyed fishing andspent his retirement in thecompany of his family. Hisdaughter Dorothy died in 1961and then, on Thursday 3rdFebruary 1966, Ernest died aged72.

His funeral was, as was to beexpected, well attended, and a fullaccount of it appeared in theNeath Guardian of 11th February:

“Police officers, includingmembers of the former NeathBorough force, acted as bearersat the funeral on Monday whencremation took place atMorriston.

The Mayor of Neath, Cllr. I.G.Tallamy was present with theTown Clerk, Mr. F.A. Rennison,with Superintendent RichardRichings, G.M., representingGlamorgan Constabulary.

Services at the house andMorriston were conducted by

LATER YEARS

Ernest and his wife, Jennie, enjoying aholiday together

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the Rev. A.J. Way, curate ofNeath.

Family mourners were: GeoffreyRollings, son; Mr. AlbertSwaithes and Mr. Jack Swaithes,cousins; Mr E.J. Webb and Mr. I.Rees.

Police bearers were: Sgts. J.Cornwell and Thomas, andconstables Reg Edwards, D.H.McLeod, Reg. Fudge and JohnKnight.

Among the many present weremembers of the Cambrian Lodgeof Freemasons, to which Mr.Rollings belonged, also members

of the former Home Guard unit,to which he had rendered muchservice.

Among police and former policeofficers present were:-Ex-Supt.Glyn Evans, Inspt. KennethLoyns, ex-Inspt. Douglas Harris,ex-Inspt. Tal Davies, ex-Det.Sgt. Edgar Davies, ex-SergeantsJack James, William Perry, JenkinHopkins and Len Harry, ex-Constables Harold Selby, HaroldBarron and P.C. Harold Fraley.”

Ernest’s father survived himand died two years later aged 94whilst Jennie died in 1976 aged 74.

The headline in the South Wales Evening Post reporting Ernest’s death in 1966

32


Before he died in 2012 Ernest’sson, Geoffrey, did much to keepalive the memory of his father.This included donating to theSouth Wales Police Museum anumber of items relating to himsuch as his medal set, his revolverfrom the First World War and,importantly, the casket containingthe scroll as to his admission as aFreeman of the Borough ofNeath.

South Wales Police, in turn,has sought to play its part bydisplaying these items and others

in the Museum, now re-namedthe Heritage Centre.

In addition, between October2017 and August 2018, anexhibition telling Ernest’s story,accompanied by items relating tohim, was held at the Firing LineMuseum in Cardiff Castle. It wasentirely appropriate, since it is themuseum of the Queen’s DragoonGuards, the successor to the 2ndDragoon Guards which Ernestjoined in 1914. It proved to be ofgreat interest to visitors and wasvery successful.

ERNEST REMEMBERED

Ernest’s son Geoffrey, on the right, presents items belonging to his father to AssistantChief Constable Colin Evans of South Wales Police in 1983

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South WalesPolice alsoproduced aleaflet toaccompany theexhibition and

articles prompted by it appearedin the Sunday Express of 11thNovember 2017, the WesternMail Magazine and the SouthWales Evening Post, both of 9thDecember 2017.

Ernest’s granddaughter Anne and his great grandson, Andrew, holding Ernest’s medals

Ernest James Rollings medals

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The Rollings Exhibition in the Firing Line Museum, Cardiff Castle

Members of Ernest’s family outside Cardiff Castle, November 2017

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HEDDLU DE CYMRU • SOUTH WALES POLICE

L E A R N • E N G A G E • R E M E M B E R

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ERNEST ROLLINGS 1893-1966THE POLICEMAN “WHO ENDED THE WAR”

“I chose him to help meform the 17th (ArmouredCar) Battalion becausehe was so absolutelyreliable. If I gave anorder to do a certainthing in a certain way, Iknew that as long asRollings was there itwould be done. That wasthe reason why he waschosen for the particularjob of dealing with theGerman CorpsHeadquarters atFramerville.

Lieutenant Colonel E.J. Carter, 1931

“……a man not only ofvery high abilities, butone whose character isirreproachable, andwhilst thoroughlyaccustomed tocommand men, he is atthe same time mostcourteous and tactful inhis dealings witheveryone”

B.R. BowenChairman

Neath Borough Watch Committee

1932

“I remember mygrandfather as great funto be with. Every Sundaymorning he’d plan arange of activities, whichas a young child I lookedforward to with greatanticipation…..One ofmy fondest memories issnuggling up on his lap,sipping a warm drink infront of an open fire.

Most significantly heencouraged me to have asense of adventure andshow kindness toeveryone.”

Ernest’s granddaughter Anne, 2017

www.south-wales.police.ukwww.southwalespolicemuseum.org.uk

LED BY IWM

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