Ernest Sykes V.C.

[Tra La La]

Yes Barryd, Ernest was with the 27th (service) battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers, Tyneside Irish, just north of Rocklincourt.  His earlier service was with the Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment.  He was injured at Gallipoli, and returned to the uk for surgery to his foot.
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[Henry7]

There is a short article about Ernest Sykes, V.C., in the Journal of the London & North Western Railway Society - Vol 1, No 8, September 1995, pp239-240.   This is because L&NWR locomotive No 2035, built in March 1920, was given the name "Private E. Sykes V.C." in February 1922, he having been an L&NWR employee.  The article carries a photograph of Ernest Sykes receiving his medal from King George V on 21st July 1917, and one showing the engine 2035 in Stalybridge station with Sykes - then a railway guard - on the footplate alongside the engine driver and fireman.  (This was an earlier engine than the one in the photo, No 5537, posted by Geoff-E, which was built in 1933 and took the same name.)

Some biographical details are given in the article, but unfortunately the date of his heroic actions is given as 19th April.   

[lizbet t]

There is a bit of an update to the locomotive saga so I felt somebody had to get the ball rolling at Lives and I added a short story . You'll find it at
https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/4341321.
AND
this is a link to the cited article at http://www.lms-patriot.org.uk/locomotives-named-after-victoria-cross-recipients. The date of his V.C. is stated correctly and the whole site is worth looking at.

Liz

[Tra La La]

Hello Henry7,
Is there a chance that you could contact the publisher of the article, and alert them to the error?  If not I am happy to do so.  Grateful thanks for the information.  I had previously wondered if there were two locomotives, but railways are not my area of knowledge.
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[Henry7]

Tra La La -

No problem.  I shall correct this strange error in the date.

Actually three successive locomotives bore nameplates lettered PRIVATE E. SYKES V.C. - No. 2035 from 1922 to 1926, then No. 6015 from 1926 to 1933; both were the same type of engine.  From 1933 a new and different type of engine, No. 5537, was so named until it was scrapped in 1962.  A nameplate from 5537 is at Alnwick; it is curved in shape, but I believe one of the earlier type of straight nameplates from Nos. 2035/6015 has also been preserved.  (You can see that we railway-nuts can get a bit obsessive about details!) 

Harry.       

[Tra La La]

Many thanks.  I can see I need to learn about locomotives.  I have seen one nameplate at the regimental museum, and I was told about one that was on display in 2014 at the Great Dorset Steam Fair.
His medals are another area of interest given that his campaign medals were resold earlier this year, plus there was confusion regarding his VC medal at Alnwick.  At one time the museum said they had a replica, but more recently they confirmed that they hold the original.  The later information confirms what the Yorkshire grandchildren were told shortly before Ernest's death.  It was his decision to have the original medal taken to Alnwick Castle to ensure it was not sold for commercial gain.  I will battle on challenging the wrong date of his heroic act, plus correcting a smaller number of birthdate errors.  Thanks again.
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[Henry7]

Yes, I noticed there were different dates given for Ernest Sykes' birthday, but assumed one must be a simple misprint.  No doubt his birth certificate will sort that out easily.

Best of luck with your good work!

Harry.

[Tra La La]

I received a copy of his birth certificate from a medals researcher who had written an article for a journal.  I shall keep chipping away, but new books about VC holders are being published thick and fast.  I do contact the publisher, commissioning editor and if I can get to them, the author.  I can hope that when a reprint is commissioned, they will correct their errors.  My main focus is the National Archives who continue to make incorrect information available online.  This proud yorkshireman deserves to have his information corrected.  We continue ...
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