Ernest George GLEESON

GLEESON, Ernest George

Service Number: 3816
Enlisted: 26 August 1915, Perth
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 52nd Infantry Battalion
Born: Roebourne, Western Australia, 1895
Home Town: Fremantle, Fremantle, Western Australia
Schooling: Christian Brothers College, Fremantle, Western Australia
Occupation: Labourer
Died: Killed in Action, France, 16 August 1916
Cemetery: No known grave - "Known Unto God"
Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Fremantle 849 Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France)
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World War 1 Service

26 Aug 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3816, Perth
17 Dec 1915: Involvement Private, 3816, 12th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Ajana embarkation_ship_number: A31 public_note: ''
17 Dec 1915: Embarked Private, 3816, 12th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ajana, Fremantle
3 Mar 1916: Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 52nd Infantry Battalion
16 Aug 1916: Involvement Private, 3816, 52nd Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3816 awm_unit: 52nd Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-08-16

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Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks

Ernest Gleeson was one of five sons of Daniel and Jane Gleeson of Perth, Western Australia who all served overseas in the AIF.

Ernest was killed by a shell when he was part of a fatigue party taking up rations to the front line, near Pozieres. They made it to the trenches with the food and on the return trip the fatal shell hit Gleeson almost directly. His mates said in his Red Cross file that he was always cheerful and ready to his duty. He was buried where he fell and his paybook and disc were recovered but his grave was subsequently lost.

His brother, 854 Cpl. Michael William Gleeson 28th Battalion AIF died of wounds on 5 October 1917, near Zonnebeke in Belgium. His other three brothers all returned safely to Australia.

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