WARNEST, Johanis Ernest
| Service Number: | 7565 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 7 August 1917, Edwardstown South Australia Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Stockwell South Australia Australia, 18 November 1881 |
| Home Town: | Unley, Unley, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Coach Builder |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Meteren Nord-Pas-de-Calais France, 24 April 1918, aged 36 years |
| Cemetery: |
Meteren Military Cemetery (V. B. 585.) Meteren Military Cemetery, France, Meteren Military Cemetery, Meteren, Nord Pas de Calais, France |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Black Forest Parkside West Methodist Church and School Roll of Honor WW1, Kapunda District Honour Board, Unley Arch of Remembrance, Unley Town Hall WW1 Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 7 Aug 1917: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Edwardstown South Australia Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 30 Oct 1917: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Private, 7565, 10th Infantry Battalion, embarkation_roll: roll_number: 10 embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: |
|
| 30 Oct 1917: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 7565, 10th Infantry Battalion | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 10th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières |
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Son of William and Matilda Warnest, Johanis Ernst Warnest was born on the 18th of November 1881. He lived at Stockwell, a farming village in the Barossa Valley and was an active German Lutheran worshiper at the nearby St John’s Lutheran Church at Ebenezer. Around 1909 he was living in Adelaide where he married Janetta and started living at Unley. When the war broke out in 1914, like many other Australian Germans Johanis kept his head down for most of the war, however, as more discriminating campaigns against German Australians continued in 1917 a flock of German Australians enlisted to try and deflect discriminations against their families. Johanis Ernst Warnest was one of these.
Still living at Unley, and working as a coach builder, Johanis Ernst Warnest enlisted under the less German name of Johanis Ernest Warnest and throughout the war singed his name as E Warnest. He also stated that his religion was Methodist, when he was actually Lutheran.
After undergoing initial training in Australia he sailed to England on the 30th October 1917 at Melbourne on HMAT Aeneas (A60). He was admitted to the ship hospital with mumps before arriving in England and after undergoing more training in England he once again was admitted to a local hospital with mumps. Finally on the 13th of April, 1918 after finishing his training he joined the South Australian 10th Battalion in France. Just 11 days after joining the 10th Battalion, however, he was killed in action in France. He was 36 years old and was buried at Meteren Military Cemetery, France.
His name is listed on the Unley Arch, the Unley Honour Board in the Unley Town Hall and the Adelaide National War Memorial. His name is also listed his families grave stone at St John’s Lutheran Church at Ebenezer.
British War Medal: 58478
Victory Medal: 57479 (received by wife 28/5/23)
Memorial Plaque: 344733 (received by wife 13/11/22)
Memorial Scroll: 344733 (received by wife 1/7/21)
Nathan Rohrlach.
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