Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Ernest Michael Penny was born at Coonabarabran NSW, son of William and Mary Penny, the eldest of 14 children raised on the grazing property ‘Sunshine’ at Bugaldi, 25km from Coonabarabran. He enlisted at Narrabri on 25 May 1916: single, occupation grazier, aged 20, 5’ 10” fair complexion, blue eyes, light brown hair. He was assigned to the 29th Battalion AIF, Service No 4406.
Sydney 3 Nov 1916 Pte Penny embarked on the troop transport ship ‘Afric’ disembarking at Folkstone, England, and proceeded to France in March 1917 where he joined ‘C’ Company in the field. On 24 July 1917 he was transferred to the 9th Platoon.
On 26 Sept 1917, the first day of the operation known as the Battle of Polygon Wood, and halfway across 'No Man's Land' waiting for the artillery barrage to lift, Pte Penny, a ‘bomber' assigned to throwing grenades into the enemy's trenches, was shot by a sniper, hit in the head and killed instantly. With his Unit having to push forward in the campaign when he fell, witnesses to his death were later unable to confirm whether he’d been buried, and his remains were never found.
Pte Ernest Penny is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, one of the 6,176 Australian soldiers among the 55,000 Commonwealth soldiers listed on the Memorial whose final resting place is unknown.
Sadly, Ernest’s mother Mary, despite several letters to the Army, was unable to be sent his belongings, as unbeknown to her there was nothing to be found. Four years later, on 7 Jan 1922, when Ernest’s father William received a Memorial Scroll and King’s Message he signed the receipt and added “for which I am very thankful”.

Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative (NSW : 1890 - 1954) Thu 15 Nov 1917, Page 10, District News
The largest congregation in the history of Bugaldi assembled at the church there on a recent Sunday afternoon, when the Rev E.S. Benyon conducted an impressive memorial service for the late Private E. Penny who was killed in action. Many people were unable to gain admittance to the building.