ERSKINE, Reginald Orme
| Service Number: | 5366 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 7 January 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 55th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Balmain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, August 1896 |
| Home Town: | Rozelle, Leichhardt, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Porter |
| Died: | Shell, Villers-Bretonneux, France, 7 April 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
Crucifix Corner Cemetery Crucifix Corner Cemerery (Plot III, Row B, Grave No. 18), Villers-Bretonneux, France, Crucifix Corner Cemetery, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 7 Jan 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5366, 3rd Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Apr 1916: | Involvement Private, 5366, 3rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
| 14 Apr 1916: | Embarked Private, 5366, 3rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ceramic, Sydney | |
| 24 Jun 1918: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 55th Infantry Battalion |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
From François Berthout
Today, to commemorate with respect the day of his death 102 years ago at the age of 21, on April 7, 1918, I would like to pay a very respectful tribute to Private number 5366 Reginald Orme Erskine who fought in the 55th Australian Infantry Battalion and who was killed in action near Villers-Bretonneux, Somme.🌺
Pte Reginald Orme Erskine was born in 1896 in Balmain, Sydney, New South Wales and he was the son of Frederick and Naomi Erskine who lived at 6 Evans Street, Balmain then they moved to live at 160, Beattie Street, Rozelle, New South Wales.Before the war, Reginald worked as a porter in Rozelle.
Enlisted on January 10, 1916 in the 3rd Australian infantry battalion, 17th Reinforcement, he embarked with his unit from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A40 Ceramic on April 14, 1916.Disembarked on May 20, 1916 in Port Said, Egypt where he received his training at Tel El Kebir, he was then transferred to the 55th Australian infantry battalion and embarked from Alexandria for France on May 21, 1916.Disembarked in Marseilles, France on May 29, 1916 for the Somme front
Unfortunately, on the 7th April 1918, during a heavy bombardment of the front line near Villers-Bretonneux, a shell of large caliber fell right in the out-post in which Reginald was sheltering, completely burying him.His comrades dug him out immediately but unfortunately he was dead.
Today, the Private Reginald Orme Erskine rests in peace at the Crucifix Corner Cemetery, Villers-Bretonneux, Somme.
Thank you Reginald, you who rest in peace here on the lands of the Somme, lands for which you fought hard with courage, you have done your duty nobly, your sacrifice and that of so many of your comrades is the noblest of gifts that a man can give to other men but also to the world because you have given us a world without war, a better future and we will be eternally grateful to you, France and the Somme will never forget all that you have done and given for us and it's more than a privilege to be there for you and for all the men who fell here, it's a pride that I have in my heart to watch over you and your comrades over 100 years later.wholeheartedly and with great respect.Thank you Sir🌺
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