24708
TOMLEY, Ernest William
| Service Number: | 2370 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1) |
| Born: | Third Creek SA, August 1892 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Painter |
| Died: | 23 August 1978, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia |
| Memorials: | Aldgate War Memorial, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Glenelg and District WW1 & WW2 Honour Board, Scott's Creek & Longwood Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 24 Jun 1915: | Involvement Private, 2370, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Kanowna embarkation_ship_number: A61 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 2370, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), HMAT Kanowna, Adelaide | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 2370, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1) | |
| Date unknown: | Wounded 2370, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1) |
Help us honour Ernest William Tomley's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Heathfield High School
Ernest William Tomley was born in Third Creek SA in August of 1892, he lived with his father(Charles Trevaldwin Tomley) and his mother(Mrs A Tomley). His father worked as a grocer. When Ernest was in the war his parents lived at 67 Hurtle Square Adelaide. Ernest was a painter before he joined the army.
Ernest enlisted into the army on the 10/12/1914 at the Oaklands. When he enlisted, he was 22yrs old and was 5 foot 6 ½ inches, and weighed 140lbs, his hair colour was brown and he had grey eyes, he had a fair complexion and a chest size of 34 inches. Ernest spent 196 day’s doing basic training in South Australia, before he embarked on the HMAT Kanowna from Adelaide on the 24/6/1915, and he disembarked at Egypt on the 25/7/1915.
The 16th Infantry Battalion joined the 4th Brigade in the Gallipoli campaign, from August to October, on the 18th of October he embarked on a ship from Alexandria to Mudros. He was sent to hospital, reason unknown (no record of admission to hospital available, according to his service record) and re-joined his Battalion in Mudros on the 23rd of October, Ernest disembarked at Alexandria on the 30th of December.
On the 1st of June Ernest joined the B.E.F and disembarked at Marseilles on 9th June 1916. His Battalion went to Ypres to help hold the line at Zonnebeke
He was reported as a prisoner of war captured at Renincout 11th April 1917. He was a prisoner of war for around 599 days before he arrived at England on the 1st of December 1918. On the 4th of January he was absent without leave till the 8th of January, and the next day he got admonished and forfeited 5 days pay. On the 13th of March Ernest was granted 6 months paid leave and he took a job at the Allian Aeroplane Company in England. On 25th August 1919 he married Kate Elizabeth Bywater’s at the parish church of St Michael. He was granted indefinite leave 8th September 1919 awaiting the availability of a family ship to repatriate him and his wife back to Australia.
He embarked for return to Australia 8th October 1919 on the ship 'Benalla. He disembarked at Adelaide 22nd November 1919 and was discharged from the AIF 23rd January 1920.
Ernest died in Adelaide 23rd August 1978 and is buried at Centennial Park Cemetery.
Bibliography:
Terrace, V 2024, View digital copy, Naa.gov.au, viewed 4 June 2024, <https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=8391967&S=1>.
Wikipedia Contributors 2024, 16th Battalion, Royal Western Australia Regiment, Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, viewed 4 June 2024, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16th_Battalion,_Royal_Western_Australia_Regiment#First_World_War>.
Wikipedia Contributors 2024, British Expeditionary Force (World War I), Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, viewed 7 June 2024, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Expeditionary_Force_(World_War_I)>.
Wikipedia Contributors 2023, Ypres Salient, Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, viewed 7 June 2024, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ypres_Salient>.