COREY, Ernest Albert
| Service Numbers: | 2143, N280612 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 13 January 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 13 Garrison Battalion (NSW) |
| Born: | Green Hills, Cooma, New South Wales, 20 December 1891 |
| Home Town: | Cooma, Cooma-Monaro, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Thubergal Lake Public School |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Queanbeyan, 25 August 1972, aged 80 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Woden (Canberra) Public Cemetery, ACT Woden Cemetery, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 13 Jan 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2143, 55th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Sep 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2143, 55th Infantry Battalion | |
| 4 Sep 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2143, 55th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Port Sydney, Sydney |
World War 2 Service
| 23 Sep 1941: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 13 Garrison Battalion (NSW) , Homeland Defence - Militia and non deployed forces | |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Sep 1941: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, N280612 | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, N280612, 2 Garrison Battalion (NSW), Homeland Defence - Militia and non deployed forces |
World War 1 Service
| Date unknown: | Involvement 55th Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix) |
|---|
WW1
The details of this soldier are provided in the book "Just Soldiers" written by WO1 Darryl Kelly, published 2004, refer to chapter 9 pages 54 to 58.
Submitted 18 January 2020 by Maxwell HILL
Biography
'Ernest Corey was born in Numeralla, NSW, in 1891. He enlisted in 1916 as part of the 'Men from Snowy River' recruitment march in the southern highlands of NSW, served throughout the war as a stretcher bearer with 55th Battalion, and remains the only man in the British Empire to be awarded the Military Medal with three Bars.
The first award of the MM was made for the fighting around Bullecourt in May 1917, where Corey worked assisting the wounded, in full view of the enemy, for 17 hours. In September of the same year, he received the first Bar to the award for his bravery at Polygon Wood.
The second Bar came a year later, in the attack on Peronne by the 5th Australian Division, and before the end of September 1918, a third Bar, for the attack on the Hindenburg Line near Bellicourt, was also earned.
In this last operation, Corey was severely wounded, and was repatriated to Australia in 1919. Between the wars he held a variety of jobs, and served with 13 Garrison Battalion during the Second World War. Ernie Corey died in 1972.' - Australian War Memorial
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