Earl Gordon BERTRAM

Badge Number: S23354 /  Minature 2181, Sub Branch: Magill
S23354 / Minature 2181

BERTRAM, Earl Gordon

Service Numbers: 5680, S212487, S1421
Enlisted: 4 October 1939
Last Rank: Lance Corporal
Last Unit: 27th Infantry Battalion
Born: Warracknabeal, Victoria, 17 April 1896
Home Town: Kensington, South Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Butcher
Memorials: Payneham District Council Roll of Honor
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World War 1 Service

12 Aug 1916: Involvement Private, 5680, 27th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Ballarat embarkation_ship_number: A70 public_note: ''
12 Aug 1916: Embarked Private, 5680, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ballarat, Adelaide

World War 2 Service

4 Oct 1939: Involvement Private, S212487
4 Oct 1939: Enlisted Adelaide, SA
4 Oct 1939: Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, S212487
30 Jan 1941: Discharged
5 Feb 1941: Involvement Lance Corporal, S1421
5 Feb 1941: Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Lance Corporal, S1421
5 Feb 1941: Enlisted Wayville, SA
12 Nov 1943: Discharged Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Lance Corporal, S1421
12 Nov 1943: Discharged

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Biography contributed by Saint Ignatius' College

The Beggining of World War 1

Life Before the War

Earl, Gordon Bertram was born in Warracknabeal, Victoria in 1896. Before enlisting Earl, Gordon Bertram was a butcher in North Norwood area cutting, tenderising and selling meat to people. There was no previous military service when Bertram enlisted in WW1. However, when he enlisted in WW2 

Life in Service

Enlisted: 12/1/1916 at 19 years of age. Date of embarkation: 12th of August 1916. Place of embarkation: Adelaide. Ship embarked on: HMAT Ballarat A70. Infantry 27th battalion. Bertram was imprisoned in Havry on 8/12/17 for failing to obey orders from a non-commissioned officer. He was sentenced to 10 years which was commuted to 2 years he was given a suspended sentence and had to forfeit of 28 days which was seven pounds. He was released from prison on 23/2/18.

He had scabies 17/3/17 and dermatitis on 10/4/17. He was in hospital for a few months. He was injured with a gunshot wound to his right shoulder on 10/3/18, and sent to a military hospital in France. On this day the 14th artillery was heavily shelled by the enemy artillery and our planes were active over the forward areas during the day, but only one plane succeeded in penetrating our back areas. At 1:30pm an E.A. patrolling his front line was driven into the area by three of our planes and captured. Our planes were very active all day. He embarked to England from France on 17/3/18 and returned on 20/6/18. He was wounded in Belgium on 10/3/18. He returned from service overseas on 20/6/18

After the War

Bertram did return after the WW1, but there’s no evidence of what he did after WW1. Many years after World War 1 he was finally discharged from the military in 1918

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