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Australia

Ernest was the son of Carl Christian Johan JENSEN & Grace May SKEWES and was born on the 6th of January 1899 in Adelaide, SA.
He was born Ernest Herbert Matzen JENSEN.

His parents were married on the 16th of November 1893 in Adelaide, SA.

His father was the son of Jens Madsen JENSEN and was born in 1857 in Denmark.
His mother was the daughter of John William SKEWES & Susannah MAY and was born on the 2nd of June 1865 in Gawler, SA.

Ernest was the third child born into this family of 4 children.

His father was a hatmaker.

Ernest was only 2 years old when his mother died on the 30th of March 1901 at their home in Mackinnon Parade, North Adelaide.

It appears that after the death of his mother Ernest and his sibling went to live with his grandparents John & Susannah SKEWES at 25 Sydenham Road, Norwood.

Ernest was educated at the Walkerville Primary School and he attended the Senior Cadets for 3 months and then gained employment as a farm hand.

His grandfather then died on the 5th of October 1909.

At the age of 16, Ernest enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 8th of October 1915 in Adelaide and was allotted the service number 765 and posted to the newly raised 1st Australian Remount Unit, Squadron 3 in Maribyrnong, VIC on the 21st of September.

Ernest claimed he was 19 years old, but he had actually just turned 16 years old.

Ernest embarked from Melbourne on board Transport A67 Orsova on the 12th of November 1915 at 3pm.
He served in Egypt and whilst he was overseas his grandmother died on the 30th of June 1916.
Ernest then embarked from Suez on board HS Vestalia on the 18th of October 1916, disembarking in Adelaide on the 12th of November.

Whilst he was on the voyage back to Australia his younger brother Rodney, aged 16, was convicted of stealing money and goods and was sentenced to the Boys Reformatory until he turned 18 years of age.

Ernest was discharged from the AIF on the 6th of December 1916 on account of his Unit being demobilised.

He then went to live with his uncle Mr Thomas SKEWES and his family in Daly Street, Adelaide. His uncle was a coach builder.

At the age of 18, Ernest re enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 19th of February 1917 in Adelaide and was allotted the service number 3315.
Ernest claimed he was 20 years old, but he had actually just turned 18 years old.

He was then transferred to the 9th Light Horse Regiment, 27th Reinforcements on the 1st of March and embarked from Sydney on board HT Port Sydney on the 9th of May 1917.

His younger brother Rodney, aged 18, enlisted into the AIF on the 28th of October 1918 and was posted to B Company in Mitcham Camp.
His sister Minna gave her permission for him to enlist.
Rodney was discharged from the AIF a few weeks later on the 18th of November 1918.

Ernest served in Egypt and embarked from Kantara on board HT Oxfordshire on the 10th of July 1919 at 4:30pm, disembarking in Adelaide on the 10th of September.

Ernest was discharged from the AIF on the 29th of September 1919 and gained employment as a labourer.

Ernest married Elsie Winifred MARCUS on the 31st of December 1925 in St Paul’s Church, Pulteney Street, Adelaide.
Elsie was the daughter of Thomas Henry MARCUS & Susan MARSHALL and was born on the 17th of April 1898 in Joanna, SA.

They made their first home at 13 Vernon Street, Norwood and then moved to 3 King William Road, Unley where Ernest was employed as a mechanic and he joined the 10th Battalion as Brigade Area Staff.

With the outbreak of WW2, his brother Rodney enlisted into the Australian Port Operating Company and was allotted the service number V12400.
A the age of 44, Ernest re enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 22nd of July 1943 in Adelaide and was allotted the service number S86300 and posted the Volunteer Defence Corps Headquarters.

This was the first time he didn’t lie about his age.
He was then called up for full time duty 3 days later

Ernest was discharged from the AIF on the 28th of November 1945.

By 1960 they had moved to 23 Clark Terrace, Seaton.

Elsie died on the 13th of November 1973 in Seaton and was cremated in the Centennial Park Crematorium the following day.
Ernest interred her in the Naracoorte Cemetery; Old Section, Plot 371, with her parents.

Ernest died on the 3rd of November 1978 in Seaton and was cremated in the Centennial Park Crematorium on the 7th of November.
His ashes were interred in the Naracoorte Cemetery; Old Section, Plot 371, with his wife.

Military

1st Enlistment

At the age of 16, Ernest enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 8th of October 1915 in Adelaide and was allotted the service number 765 and posted to the newly raised 1st Australian Remount Unit, Squadron 3 in Maribyrnong, VIC on the 21st of September.

Ernest claimed he was 19 years old, but he had actually just turned 16 years old.
He listed his sister, Miss Minnie Jenson, c/- Mrs Cheeney, Rose Park, SA, as his next of kin.

When the Light Horse left for Gallipoli in 1915, they left behind detachments to take care of the horses. To free these men to rejoin their regiments, two remount units were formed in September 1915, each of four squadrons. The maximum age for enlistment was set at 50, and the units contained a high proportion of Boer War veterans and expert horsemen.

Ernest embarked from Melbourne on board Transport A67 Orsova on the 12th of November 1915 at 3pm.
They reached Fremantle 6 days later and then just after a few hours layover they sailed at midnight.
They arrived in Suez on the 8th of December having called at Aden for coal and disembarked the following day and entrained to Zeitoun where they camped.

By the time they arrived in Egypt the evacuation of Gallipoli was imminent, consequently the original work intended for the Unit was not required. The Imperial Authorities decided to make use of them as part on the Remount Service in Egypt, consequently the Australian Remount Unit came under the command of Brigadier-General C. L. Bates.

On the 14th of December they took charge of 198 horses that were intended for Batteries who were arriving shortly from Australia. These were the first animals taken charge of by the Unit; subsequently other horses were taken charge of for a short time.
On the 24th they were handed their first draft of horses, consisting of 356, for the new Depot.

Whilst here, Ernest assaulted and stole from a native and was awarded 14 days confined to camp.

They spent Christmas 1915 in Zeitoun before marching 16 miles to Maadi on the 28th of December to form a Depot there.
The following day they received the first lot of mules which had been drawn from the Remount Depot in Abbassia.
The 716 mules had been driven from Abbassia to Maadi, the route lay through the Tombs of the Khallifs between the famous Citadel and Blue Mosque and then onto the Dead City and through the open desert.
The mules caused some annoyance to the natives by getting into grave yards and enclosures, but at the time, this was unavoidable.

From the 30th of December until the 4th of February animals were received and issued.

During this time Ernest became sick and was admitted into a hospital in Maadi on the 28th of January 1916 for 1 day.
Then on the 11th of February he failed to perform a duty when ordered and was awarded 36 extra picket duties and confined to camp for 7 days.

On the 4th of March it was proposed to reduce the strength of the Australian Remount Depot by half, which meant forming one Unit from the 1st & 2nd Remount Units.
The officers and men not required for the new Unit were to have the opportunity to join other Corps if they were medically fit.
They halved each of the Remount Units, except the rough riders, who were all retained.
Ernest remained with the new Unit and on the same day Ernest disobeyed an order and was awarded 3 days confined to camp.

On the 21st of April they moved to Heliopolis Racecourse with all their horses and mules.
Part of their role was to inspect all the new horses and mules that arrived for service.
Then on the 4th of September it was proposed to reduce the Unit by two squadrons and become the Remount Depot.
This occurred on the 1st of October and men not selected were to be sent to Details Camp in Moascar, Ernest being one not selected.

They entrained at Palais-de-Koubbah for Moascar at 9am on the 9th of October and at Details Camp Ernest was found medically unfit.
This may have been due to his size as he was only 17 years old and 5 feet, 4 inches tall.

Ernest embarked from Suez on board HS Vestalia on the 18th of October 1916, disembarking in Adelaide on the 12th of November.

Ernest was discharged from the AIF on the 6th of December 1916 on account of his Unit being demobilised.

2nd Enlistment

At the age of 18, Ernest re enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 19th of February 1917 in Adelaide and was allotted the service number 3315 and posted B Company in Mitcham Camp.

Ernest claimed he was 20 years old, but he had actually just turned 18 years old.
He listed his sister, Miss Minnie Jenson, of Warra Warra, North Terrace Adelaide, as his next of kin.

He was then transferred to the 9th Light Horse Regiment, 27th Reinforcements on the 1st of March.

Ernest embarked from Sydney on board HT Port Sydney on the 9th of May 1917.
He disembarked in Suez on the 20th of June and marched into the Isolation Camp in Moascar.
On the 20th of July Ernest was AWOL for 5 hours and awarded 68 hours Field Punishment No.2 as he was also guilty of neglecting to obey an order and upon apprehension was not in possession of his identity disc.

Nine days later he was taken on strength with 3rd Light Horse Training Regiment in Mena Camp and 2 weeks later he was taken on strength with the 9th Light Horse Regiment who were in training at Marakeb.
By the end of August they had moved to Abasan, still training, and then on the 18th of September they moved to Um Urgan and relieved the City of London Yeomanry Royal Regiment.
In a move that converted the Light Horse into full cavalry, the Australian Mounted Division was issued with swords during August and early September 1917. The Australian Mounted Division went to work training with swords and undertaking cavalry work.

Ernest was appointed to driver on the 12th of September while they were in Um Urgan preparing for the Battle of Beersheba.
On the 28th of September they began their move to Khalassa and on the 31st of October they were located 2 miles east of Beersheba in undulating open country, broken by 2 small wadies.

They moved across this country in line of Troop columns at a steady trot, junking here and there to evade the shrapnel which was being fired at a fairly short range.
At 1530 they had reached a small gully without a casualty and then the enemy shelled the gully for an hour and a half but failed to cause a casualty.
At 1700 they received orders to move and occupy the line east of Beersheba and when nearing their objective an enemy plane, flying at about 800 feet, bombed C Troop of C Squadron killing 2 men and severely wounding 11 others.
It also killed 19 horses and wounded another 6 and many casualties were inflicted on the New Zealanders and the 3rd Machine Gun Squadron who were close by.

At this point, they learned that Beersheba had fallen.

With the fall of Gaza on the 7th of November 1917, the Turkish position in southern Palestine collapsed. Ernest and his Regiment participated in the pursuit that followed and led to the capture of Jerusalem in December.

Christmas 1917 was spent in torrential rain at Suffa and the Wadi was in flood.
Two days later they moved to the front line for the attack on Camels Hump and Camels were used for the first time in the hills for transport.

Ernest returned to full Squadron duties as a trooper on the 18th of January 1918 and now the focus of British operations then moved to the Jordan Valley.
By February they had moved to Deir-al-Belah and Ernest was reappointed as a driver on the 16th of February.
They moved from Deir-al-Belah on the 1st of April proceeding though Selmieh, Kubeibeh, Latron and onto Talat ed Dumm (about 1.5 miles north west of Jericho).

Here on the 26th of April Ernest suffered from a back strain and admitted into the 3rd Australian Light Horse Field Ambulance and transferred to the Australian Division Receiving Station.
The following day he was transferred to the 65th Casualty Clearing Station in Jerusalem and the 2 days later he was transferred by Hospital Train to the 47th Stationary Hospital in Gaza.

On the 4th of May he was then transferred to the 44th Stationary Hospital in Kantara before being admitted into the 14th Australian General Hospital in Port Said.
After 5 days Ernest was diagnosed with a curved spine, he was classed B2 and discharged to duty 3 days later at the 14th Australian General Hospital and reverted back to the rank of trooper.
B2 class meant he was able to walk five miles to and from work and see and hear sufficiently for ordinary purposes.

After a week of this duty Ernest was transferred to Details Camp in Moascar on the 20th of May and 4 weeks later he was transferred to the ANZAC Mounted Division Headquarters, near Jericho, on the 22nd of June as Batman to Major A. J. Love.
He was then transferred to the Desert Mounted Corps on the 14th of August and on the 25th of September he was detached to El Afula and on the 8th of October he was admitted into the Imperial Camel Field Hospital suffering from a Venereal disease.

He embarked from Haifa on the 13th of October, disembarked in Port Said the following day and was admitted into the 14th Australian General Hospital.
After 11 days he was transferred to the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital in Moascar and was here when the Armistice was signed.
Ernest was discharged to Details Camp in Moascar on the 14th of November and then posted to the 3rd Light Horse Training Regiment.

Ernest rejoined the 9th Light Horse Regiment on the 30th of November 1918 at Mejdelay and they then moved to their new camp area near Tripoli on the 13th of December and Christmas 1918 was spent here.

January was spent mostly in sport and recreation and they began handing their gear in in mid February.

While waiting to embark for home, they were called back to operational duty to quell the Egyptian revolt that erupted in March 1919; order was restored in little over a month.

Ernest and his Regiment embarked from Kantara on board HT Oxfordshire on the 10th of July 1919 at 4:30pm, disembarking in Adelaide on the 10th of September.

Ernest was discharged from the AIF on the 29th of September 1919 and awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War & Victory Medals.

WW2

At the age of 44, Ernest re enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 22nd of July 1943 in Adelaide and was allotted the service number S86300 and posted the Volunteer Defence Corps Headquarters.

This was the first time he didn’t lie about his age.
He listed his wife, of 5 King William Road, North Unley, as his next of kin.

He was then called up for full time duty 3 days later

Ernest was discharged from the AIF on the 28th of November 1945.