Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Erold Hugh John Patrick was born on 26th September 1892 in Burketown Queensland, the youngest surviving son of Hugh John Curtis and Annie Elizabeth Honan.

Whether the name ‘Erold Hugh John Patrick’ is correct is unknown - on his birth certificate he is shown as John Patrick, on his father’s death certificate he is shown as Erold and, on his mother’s death certificate he is shown as Erold John Patrick.

He lived in Burketown Queensland with his parents, brother and sister until the death of his father, Hugh John, in November 1893 from malaria.  He then moved to Brisbane with his brother, Herbert and sister Agnes to live with his paternal grandmother (Margaret Louisa Curtis), his uncle Louis and aunt Kate because his mother was unable to care for her children.

In July 1895, when Erold was about 3 years old, the family moved to Diamond Creek Victoria where Louis became a farmer.

According to his World War 1 enlistment record he was 5ft 10 inches tall with brown hair and blue eyes.

At age 25 Erold enlisted in the army under the name Hugh John Curtis - his father's name (1st AIF, 51st Battalion. AIF Nominal Roll No. 6802A) on 20th August 1917. Most of the time he was known as “Jack”

He served between November 1917 and March 1919. His basic training was done at Broadmeadows.

He possibly did not enlist earlier because his Grandmother, Margaret Louisa Curtis, with whom he was living in Diamond Creek, was still living- she died in March 1917.

On 21st November 1917 Erold left Melbourne on board the ship 'Nestor 'as part of the 20th Reinforcements of the 23rd Battalion. He disembarked at Southampton on 23rd January 1918 and from there was transferred to France.

On 28th August 1918 he was appointed a Lance Corporal. He was wounded in action on 1st September 1918 - shot in the left leg (army record).

He was transferred back to a hospital in Brighton, England before being returned to Australia on board the 'Nestor' in December 1918 and disembarked on 1 February 1919. His rank on returning to Australia was Lance Corporal.

Erold applied for his war medals in March 1919 - he was eligible for the British War Medal 1914 -1919 and the Victory Medal 1914 -1919.

After arriving back in Australia from the war he returned to farming in Diamond Creek for a few years.

He sold his land with his uncle in about 1924 and sometime during 1925 he left Diamond Creek/Hurstbridge and moved to Brisbane Queensland. He is shown in 1925 electoral roll as being a shop keeper at People’s Palace in Brisbane.

In about 1930/1931 Jack went to Bowen Queensland to work as a 'Strike Breaker' on the wharf during a strike.

In 1934, at the age of 42, Jack married a widow, Mary Cuthbertson (nee Mary McColl), from Scotland, in Bowen. She had a child from a previous marriage. Hugh John and Mary did not have any children of their own.

In the 1940’s Jack and Mary Curtis left Queensland and moved to Sydney where he was a storeman. They lived for a while in Fairfield before moving to Cabramatta where Jack built a house at 210 John Street, Cabramatta Sydney.

During World War 2 Jack, aged 49 years re-enlisted in the army in March 1942. He was given the rank of Sergeant - when he left the army after World War 1 he was a Lance Corporal. Since he was too old to be sent overseas he was stationed at Wagga in the Army School of ME.

During the following years his health had deteriorated - apparently he was gassed during the war.

Jack died in the Concord Repat. Hospital in Sydney in June 1968. He is buried in the Rookwood Cemetery in the War Graves Section (his death was shown to be due to injuries obtained during World War 1)