SMITH, Ernest John
| Service Number: | 13646 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 26 October 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 14th Field Ambulance |
| Born: | Bruton, Somerset, England, May 1882 |
| Home Town: | Pinnacle, Mackay, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, No. 1 Australian General Hospital at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, England, 8 October 1919 |
| Cemetery: |
Bruton (St. Mary) Churchyard St Mary Churchyard, Bruton, Somerset, England, United Kingdom |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Mackay Old Town Hall Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 26 Oct 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 13646, Army Medical Corps (AIF) | |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Mar 1916: | Involvement Private, 13646, Army Medical Corps (AIF), --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '23' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Kanowna embarkation_ship_number: A61 public_note: '' | |
| 29 Mar 1916: | Embarked Private, 13646, Army Medical Corps (AIF), HMAT Kanowna, Sydney | |
| 16 Mar 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Driver, 14th Field Ambulance | |
| 20 Oct 1918: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 14th Field Ambulance | |
| 8 Oct 1919: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 13646, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 13646 awm_unit: 14th Australian Field Ambulance awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1919-10-08 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland
Died on this date – 8th October…… Ernest John Smith was born at Bruton, Somerset, England in 1882.
According to information supplied for the Roll of Honour by his father – Ernest came to Australia when he was 25.
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 26th October, 1915 as a 32 year old, single, Labourer from Pinnacle via Mackay, Queensland.
Private Ernest John Smith, Service number 13646, embarked from Sydney, NSW on HMAT Kanowna (A61) on 29th March, 1916 with the Army Medical Corps, Special Reinforcements.
On 12th May, 1916 Private Smith was taken on strength of 14th Field Ambulance at Railhead from Base Details.
He embarked for overseas from Alexandria on 19th June, 1916 on Royal George & disembarked at Marseilles, France (no date recorded).
Private Smith was remustered as Driver with 14th Field Ambulance on 22nd February, 1917 vice Driver Guest evacuated sick on 21st November, 1916
From 19th May, 1917 Driver Smith was on leave to England & rejoined his Unit on 3rd June, 1917.
He reported sick on 7th October, 1917 & was admitted to 2nd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station with Pleurisy. Driver Smith was transferred to Ambulance Train on 9th October, 1917 & admitted to 16th General Hospital on 10th October, 1917. He was discharged to Base on 24th October, 1917.
Driver Smith was marched in to A.G.B.D. (Australian General Base Depot) from Hospital on 25th October, 1917. He was marched out on 30th October, 1917 & rejoined 14th Field Ambulance on 2nd November, 1917.
On 2nd July, 1918 Driver Smith was reported to be with his Unit. (This usually occurred when there had been no movements recorded for the Soldier for a period of time)
He was on leave to UK from 20th July, 1918 & rejoined from furlough on 6th August, 1918.
Driver Ernest John Smith was appointed Lance Corporal on 20th October, 1918 with 14th Field Ambulance.
He reported sick on 11th November, 1918 & was admitted P.U.O. (Pyrexia (fever) of unknown origin). Lance Corporal Smith was transferred & admitted to 3rd Australian General Hospital on 11th November, 1918. He was transferred to Ambulance Train on 30th November, 1918 & embarked for England on Hospital Ship St. Denis on 1st December, 1918.
On 1st December, 1918 Lance Corporal Smith was admitted to Hospital at Torquay, England suffering from Fibroma. He was reported to still be a patient on 19th March, 1919 & was unfit to be moved. Lance Corporal Smith was reported to be dangerously ill on 21st March, 1919.
Lance Corporal Smith was transferred & admitted to No. 1 Australian General Hospital at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, England on 21st May, 1919 with Fibroma & was reported to be dangerously ill.
On 10th June, 1919 Lance Corporal Smith completed an “Application for a discharge in a country other than Australia”. He requested to be discharged in the UK & stated he was “suffering from Fribroma & according to Medical Officer am not likely to recover. My relations are all in England. I have no interest in Australia.” Lance Corporal Smith was medically classified as C3 – permanently unfit for General or Home Service.(Normally a member of the Australian Imperial Force would be discharged in Australia where he had enlisted).
His parents, from Lusty Hill, Bruton, Somerset, England, wrote to The Director, Repatriation & Demobilisation, London on 30th June, 1919 requesting that their son be discharged from the A.I.F. in England. They stated he has no relations in Australia & was not likely to fully recover from his sickness. The parents further stated “he should spend his last few days with us.”
Lance Corporal Smith was reported as “no improvement” on 4th July, 1919 while a patient in No. 1 Australian General Hospital at Sutton Veny.
The Department of Repatriation & Demobilisation wrote to No. 1 Australian General Hospital, Sutton Veny on 29th July, 1919 asking if it was possible for Lance Corporal Smith to be handed over to his parent’s care. The Registrar of 1st Australian General Hospital, Sutton Veny replied on 1st August, 1919 that it was “not possible for this man to go out. He must remain in Hospital.”
He was reported as “no improvement” on 22nd September, 1919 while a patient in No. 1 Australian General Hospital at Sutton Veny.
Lance Corporal Ernest John Smith died at 2 pm on 8th October, 1919 at No. 1 Australian General Hospital at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, England from Neuro Fibroma.
He was buried in St. Mary’s Churchyard, Bruton, Somerset, England and was given a military funeral but arrangements for interment were made by relatives (Father).
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/bruton.html
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