Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Ernest was the son of William James COMLEY & Emily GRIMWOOD and was born on the 28th of June 1878 in Glenelg, SA.
He was known as Joe.

His parents were married on the 23rd of July 1861 in Yankalilla, SA.

His father was the son of WILLIAM COMLEY & Sarah Ann ALDER and was born on the 19th of July 1833 in Kingstanley, Gloucestershire, England.
His mother was the daughter of Frederick GRIMWOOD & Emily RANCH and was born in 1944 in Eastry, Kent, England.

Ernest was the seventh child born into this family of 10 children.

His father had arrived in South Australia on board the Rodney with his parents on the 20th of February 1855.
His mother had arrived in South Australian on board the Omega with her parents on the 1st of August 1852.

Ernest’s grandfather had taken up land and was farming at Rapid Bay in 1865 and this is where Ernest’s parent became acquainted.

Two years after they married they moved the family to Glenelg where Ernest’s father was a wood and coal merchant and had a wood yard at Morley Street Glenelg.
The family lived in Torquay Street, Glenelg (now Penzance Street).
He was also the newsvendor and delivered “The Register” in Glenelg for 40 years.

Ernest attended his first day of school at the Glenelg Public School on the 3rd of June 1884.

After leaving school Ernest gained employment as a mason and by 1899 he had moved out of home and was living in Union Street, New Glenelg.

Ernest met a young lady, Miss Annie Marie PYNE nee PHILCOX.
Annie was the daughter of William Frederick PHILCOX & Harriet COLEMAN and was born on the 21st of January 1866 in Lefevre Peninsula, SA.
She was previously married to William PYNE on the 18th of December 1883 and they had a daughter; Winifred, but she died when she was 6 years old.

They then welcomed a son; Sydney William James, on the 21st of August 1899.

At the age of 24, Ernest enlisted into the 4th South Australian Imperial Bushmen in February 1900 in Adelaide, SA and was allotted the regimental number 195.
He embarked from Port Adelaide on the transport Manhattan on the 1st of May 1900 and disembarked at Port Elizabeth on the 19th of June.

He served for 14 months overseas before embarking for Adelaide on the 5th of July 1901 on board the transport Britannic.
He disembarked in Adelaide on the 27th of July and when his Contingent was disbanded shortly afterwards, Ernest was discharged from service and awarded the Queens South African Medal with clasps.

Six days later, Ernest & Annie married on the 2nd of August 1901 in Goodwood, SA.

Their first home was in Glenelg.

On the 28th of July 1902 they welcomed Clarice Marjorie Winifred into the family, followed by Emily Rose Marie, on the 20th of September 1904.

On the 25th of July 1905 Annie was admitted into the Parkside Lunatic Asylum suffering from Maniacal Excitement.
Sadly, Annie died on the 10th of March 1906 in the Asylum from Pulmonary Disease and Ernest buried her in the Brighton Cemetery.

In 1912 Ernest joined the 10th Infantry Battalion (Adelaide Rifles).

Ernest then married Christina MATTHEWS nee TRURAN on the 4th of August 1914.
Christina was the daughter of Samuel TRURAN and had previously had a daughter with Charles Augustus MATTHEWS. Her name was Marjorie MATTHEWS and she was born on the 3rd of May 1898 in Kensington.

They made their first home at 13 Charlotte Street, Adelaide and Ernest gained employment as a cook.

With the outbreak of WW1, aged 36, Ernest enlisted into the AIF on the 31st of October 1914 in Adelaide, SA and was allotted the service number 156 and posted to the newly raised 3rd Battalion, Naval and Military Force (AN&MEF), Special Tropical Unit, A Company in Liverpool Camp, NSW.

He served in Rabaul for 12 months where he was struck down with Malaria and Blackwater Fever before embarking for Australian on the 6th of December 1915 on board SS Te Anau.
Ernest disembarked in Sydney on the 15th of December and entrained to Adelaide where he was admitted into the 7th Australian General Hospital in Keswick 5 days later.
He remained here under medical treatment for Malaria until the 26th of January 1916 and was discharged, medically unfit, from the AIF, 3 days later, on the 29th of January.

He then re enlisted for Home Service 3 days later, on the 1st of February 1916 and was posted to the Remount Unit, 2nd Depot Battalion at Exhibition Camp.
He was transferred to Mitcham Camp and was posted to the Home Service Unit before he discharged at his own request on the 21st of May 1916.

Now aged 38, Ernest re enlisted into the AIF on the 11th of December 1916 and was allotted the service number 1061 and posted back to the 3rd Battalion, Naval and Military Force (AN&MEF), Special Tropical Unit. But his time he was allocated to D Company.

Again he entrained to Sydney and then embarked on the 20th of December for Rabaul on board SS Matunga.

While he was serving in Rabaul his son Sydney, aged 18, enlisted into the AIF on the 2nd of January 1917 and was allotted the service number 6674 and posted to the 27th Battalion.
Ernest had listed his brother Harold as Sydney’s guardian whilst he was overseas and Harold gave permission for Sydney to enlist.

Ernest served on Garrison duty at Rabaul and Kokopo for a further 12 months before embarking for Sydney on the 14th of December 1917 on board SS Marsina.
Ernest disembarked on the 24th of December and entrained to Adelaide and then on the 21st of January 1918 he underwent Malaria Treatment once again in the 7th Australian General Hospital at Keswick for 2 months.

Ernest was discharged, medically unfit, from the AIF on the 11th of April 1918 and was granted a war pension of £1/10/- per fortnight.

In the 1920’s they lived at 12 Wiel Street, Adelaide and then by the mid 1930’s they had moved to 22 Tewkesbury Avenue, Mornington (Plympton) and Ernest was employed as a watchman.

A few years later they moved to 21 Howard Street, Underdale.

Christina died on the 15th of February 1942 in Loreta Hospital, Dulwich and Ernest buried her the following day in the Centennial Park Cemetery; General, Path 7, Gave 380.

After Christina’s death, Ernest moved to Hinton Street, Underdale.

Ernest then married Lucy Blanche COUCH formally HUGO nee CLELAND.
Lucy was the daughter of Robert CLELAND & Susan Marian Jane DONNAN and was born on the 3rd of September 1880 at Portland Estate, SA.
She had been widowed twice.

They made their home at 29 Daly Street South Plympton and Ernest was a member of the Loyal Rose of Sharon Lodge in Parkside.

Ernest died on Saturday the 10th of March 1951 in the Royal Adelaide Hospital and was buried 2 days later in the Brighton Cemetery; Block D, Path 23, Plot 0157.

COMLEY. —On March 10, in the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Ernest Joseph, the beloved husband of Lucy Blanche Comley of 29 Daly Street South Plympton. Aged 71 years.

COMLEY.— LOYAL ROSE OF SHARON LODGE. No. 1519. S.A G.U.O.O.F. (Grand United Order of Odd fellows)
MEMBERS of the above lodge are hereby informed that the Funeral of our late BRO. E. J. COMLEY will leave 441 South Road, Edwardstown on MONDAY, at 3.30p.m. for the Brighton Cemetery.

Lucy died on the 11th of July 1958 and was buried in the West Terrace Cemetery.

Military

BOER

At the age of 24, Ernest enlisted into the 4th South Australian Imperial Bushmen in February 1900 in Adelaide, SA and was allotted the regimental number 195.
He listed his father, of Glenelg, as his next of kin.

The Contingent comprised of 12 officers and 222 others, with 240 horses.

They embarked from Port Adelaide on the transport Manhattan on the 1st of May, 1900 and then called at Fremantle to embark the 4th Western Australians.
They sailed via Beira and Durban and disembarked at Port Elizabeth on the 19th of June.

Lieutenant Colonel Rowell was placed in command of an Australian regiment comprising some 400 Bushmen; there being the two squadrons of South Australians, one Western Australian and one Tasmanian.
Bethlehem was taken on the 7th of July, when 300 Bushmen, mostly South and Western Australians, joined in the attack.
When De Wet broke through the cordon on 16th the Contingent took part in his pursuit to the Reitzburg hills.

At Palmietfontein they were heavily engaged with the Boers and then at Stinkhoutboom, where the South Australians sustained losses.

In July and August they were attached to General Broadwood, in pursuit of De Wet, from Bethlehem through Oliphant's Nek and the Magaliesberg Range.
They also took part in the relief of Eland's River garrison.

On the 29th of November they fought at Rhenoster Kop; attached to General Plumer, and participated in General French's operations in the Eastern Transvaal.

In February, 1901, they sustained several casualties in Cape Colony, during the pursuit of De Wet; and in March, April and May, they distinguished themselves in operations between Pretoria and Pietersberg.

When General Plumer, after the occupation of Pietersberg, was moving southwards, Captain F. W. Hurcombe was commended for his successful leading.
During May, the Contingent suffered casualties on various occasions in the Eastern Transvaal and in June they formed escort to a convoy from Kroonstadt to Lindley.

They were then involved in operations in Northern Transvaal and then moved to Bethel, Standerton and Piet Relief.

Ernest embarked on the 5th of July 1901, at East London, on the transport Britannic and arrived in Adelaide on the 27th of July.

His Contingent was disbanded shortly afterwards and Ernest was discharged from service and awarded the Queens South African Medal with clasps.

WW1

At the age of 36, Ernest enlisted into the AIF on the 31st of October 1914 in Adelaide, SA and was allotted the service number 156 and posted to the newly raised 3rd Battalion, Naval and Military Force (AN&MEF), Special Tropical Unit, A Company in Liverpool Camp, NSW.
He listed his wife, of 13 Charlotte Street, Adelaide, as his next of kin.

The 3rd Battalion had been raised to relieve the 1st Battalion in Garrison Duty at Rabaul, (originally German New Guinea) who had been struck down with Dengue Fever and Malaria
The terms of enlistment of this force was for the duration of the war; that of the 1st Battalion had been for six months only.

Ernest entrained to Sydney on Wednesday 11th of November and then embarked from Sydney on the 28th of November 1914 on board SS Eastern and arrived in Rabaul on the 17th of December.

Ernest was posted to the Garrison Police at Rabaul and on the 17th of January 1915 he suffered from Malaria & Blackwater Fever and was hospitalised for 2 weeks.
He spent the next 12 months here, as were his terms of enlistment, and then embarked for Australian on the 6th of December 1915 on board SS Te Anau.
Ernest disembarked in Sydney on the 15th of December and entrained to Adelaide where he was admitted into the 7th Australian General Hospital in Keswick 5 days later.
He remained here under medical treatment for Malaria until the 26th of January 1916 and was discharged, medically unfit, from the AIF, 3 days later, on the 29th of January.

He then re enlisted for Home Service 3 days later, on the 1st of February 1916 and was posted to the Remount Unit, 2nd Depot Battalion at Exhibition Camp.
On the 16th of February Ernest was transferred to Mitcham Camp and 4 weeks later he was transferred to B Company for 4 weeks.
Then on the 15th of May he was posted to the Home Service Unit before he discharged at his own request on the 21st of May 1916.

Now aged 38, Ernest re enlisted into the AIF on the 11th of December 1916 and was allotted the service number 1061 and posted back to the 3rd Battalion, Naval and Military Force (AN&MEF), Special Tropical Unit. But his time he was allocated to D Company.

Again he entrained to Sydney and then embarked on the 20th of December on board SS Matunga.
Ernest spent Christmas 1916 on board the ship and then disembarked in Rabaul on the 30th of December.
He served on Garrison duty at Rabaul and Kokopo for a further 12 months before embarking for Sydney on the 14th of December 1917 on board SS Marsina.
Ernest disembarked on the 24th of December and entrained to Adelaide and then on the 21st of January 1918 he underwent Malaria Treatment once again in the 7th Australian General Hospital at Keswick for 2 months.

Ernest was discharged, medically unfit, from the AIF on the 11th of April 1918 and awarded the British War Medal.
He was granted a war pension of £1/10/- per fortnight.