Private SD/172 John Ernest Ellis of the 13th Battalion, the Royal Sussex Regiment, was born at Framfield, the son of Horace and Naomi Fenner, on the 22nd of September 1895.

The 1901 census records the family living at Tickerage Mill, Framfield. Horace, aged 47, was born at Mayfield and was employed as a labourer. Naomi, aged 47, was also born at Mayfield. Children recorded were Joseph, aged 15, employed as a bricklayer’s labourer, Ruth, aged 14, both born at Mayfield. Jabez, aged 12, Horace, aged 10, Eunice, aged 8, John, aged 5, were all born at Framfield.

In 1911 the family were living at Framfield. Horace was still a farm labourer; he and Naomi had been married for 34 years and had produced eleven children of which ten had survived - John, who was working as a farm labourer was the only one recorded.

From 1912, he was recorded as a porter with the LBSCR, working at Hellingly, Mayfield, Uckfield and London at various times and was still working as such when he enlisted. At the time of his enlistment, at Eastbourne, on the 4th of September 1914, Johns' religion was recorded as a Baptist and he living at Etchingwood, Framfield.

He initially joined the 11th Battalion. He was graded class II musketry on the 20th of January 1916, and on the 3rd of March 1916 he arrived in France.

In April 1916, he became ill and was sent back to the UK, where he was sent to the 3rd London General Hospital at Wandsworth, where he stayed from the 11th of April to the 6th of May. After a period of convalescence, during which time he was posted to the 13th Battalion, he returned to France on the 15th of June and was sent to Etaples, here he was recorded arriving on the 20th of June.

On the 21st of October 1916, he was posted missing on the Somme and his death was therefore presumed. His service record states that he was "discharged in consequence of death" and below is noted that "the discharge of the above man is hereby approved".

In spite of being recorded as missing in action and the fact that he is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial as having no known grave, there is some evidence that he died of wounds; a letter from his commanding officer to his brother said that a successful attack had been made on a German trench but that he was so badly wounded that he died soon afterwards.

Although no mention of a military service is mentioned in Mayfield (St Dunstans) Churchyard, Sussex, on the headstone of his parents Horace and Naomi Ellis, who died respectively on the 31st of March 1936 at the age of 82 and the 4th of February 1928 at the age of 74, the hint of a military connection came because at the date of John's death on the 21st of October 1916, he was 21 years old.