SMITH, William Ernest
| Other Name: | Smith, Ernest Howard |
|---|---|
| Service Numbers: | 2899, N472606 |
| Enlisted: | 28 July 1915, Sydney, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | Volunteer Defence Corps (SA) |
| Born: | Bigga, New South Wales, 25 September 1891 |
| Home Town: | Erskineville, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Tram Conductor/Cook |
| Died: | Natural causes, Healesville, Victoria, 23 September 1975, aged 83 years |
| Cemetery: |
Upper Yarra Public Cemetery, Victoria William Howard (William Ernest Smith) has an "unmarked" grave that is Grave Number 230. Section CE2 in the Wesburn Cemetery |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 28 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2899, Sydney, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Nov 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2899, 3rd Pioneer Battalion, HMAT Benalla, Sydney | |
| 9 Nov 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2899, 3rd Pioneer Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Benalla embarkation_ship_number: A24 public_note: '' | |
| 21 Jun 1918: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 2899, 35th Infantry Battalion |
World War 2 Service
| 14 Jun 1942: | Enlisted Private, N472606, Volunteer Defence Corps (SA), Crookwell, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Sep 1945: | Discharged Private, N472606, Volunteer Defence Corps (SA) |
Occupation Force Japan - BCOF Service
| 1 Jan 1946: | Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Private |
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William Ernest Smith was born in Bega NSW served in WWI in Europe, was injured and returned to Australia 1918; William's brother Albert John Horace Smith was killed at Frommelles in 1916 (4526A).
William changed his name to Ernest Howard and enlisted in WWII aged in his 50's and by then had moved to Victoria and studied to be a cook at the army school in Melbourne.
William's last war effort was in 1946 when he volunteered to assist Japan in the recovery there. I believe he stayed 12 months.
William returned to live at Healesville in Victoria working as a cook at the Alpine Retreat Hotel. Assisted in the 1939 bushfires and lived a quiet life until his death at the Le Chateau Hospital in Healesville, 23rd September 1975.
William Howard (William Ernest Smith aka Ernest Howard) is buried in an unmarked grave at Wesburn Cemetery.