ELLIS, George
| Service Number: | 5685 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 29 July 1915, Dubbo, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 1st Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Blaenau Ffestiniog, Merionethshire, Wales, 19 April 1888 |
| Home Town: | Dubbo, Dubbo Municipality, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Ysgol-Y-Manod School, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales |
| Occupation: | Railway Porter/Slate quarryman |
| Died: | Died of wounds, France, 18 April 1918, aged 29 years |
| Cemetery: |
Ebblinghem Military Cemetery |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 29 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5685, Dubbo, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Jun 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 5685, 1st Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Kyarra embarkation_ship_number: A55 public_note: '' | |
| 3 Jun 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 5685, 1st Infantry Battalion, HMAT Kyarra, Sydney | |
| 5 Nov 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 5685, 1st Infantry Battalion, 'The Winter Offensive' - Flers/Gueudecourt winter of 1916/17, GSW (right shoulder) | |
| 5 May 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 5685, 1st Infantry Battalion, Bullecourt (Second), 2nd occasion - GSW (left leg and chest) | |
| 17 Apr 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 5685, 1st Infantry Battalion, German Spring Offensive 1918, 3rd occasion - GSW (thigh) |
Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
George ELLIS, (Service Number 5685) was born on 19 April 1888 at Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales. He first worked for the NSW Railways as a porter in the Traffic Branch in the Orange District from May 1913 and he remained in this role for the whole of his railway career. He was released from duty to join the Expeditionary Forces on 23 August 1915, the same day that he signed his Attestation Papers at Dubbo.
He left Australia through Sydney on 3 June 1916 on board HMAT ‘Kyarra’ and reached Plymouth two months later.
On 17 April 1918 he was wounded for the third time, now with a fractured femur and gangrene and he died of those wounds at the 15th Casualty Clearing Station, France, on 18 April 1918, and is buried in Ebblingham British Cemetery, 4¾ miles WNW of Hazebrouck.
A cruel twist to the news of his death was that his next of kin, his mother in Wales, knew of it before the military authorities, and when she asked for confirmation they had to search out the facts.
Submitted 27 June 2023 by John Oakes
Biography contributed by Tracy Evans
Born at Bryn Eilian Blaenau Festiniog, Merionethshire, North Wales, the son of Robert Ellis.
War service: Western Front,
Embarked Sydney, 3 June 1916; disembarked Plymouth, England, 3 August 1916.
Proceeded overseas to France, 9 September 1916; joined 1st Bn, in the field, 24 September 1916.
Wounded in action, 5 November 1916 (gun shot wound, right shoulder),and admitted to 45th Casualty Clearing Station; transferred to Ambulance Train No 7, 6 November 1916, and admitted to 22nd General Hospital, Camiers, 7 November 1916; transferred to England, 9 November 1916, and admitted to Norfolk War Hospital; transferred to 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Harefield, 22 November 1916 (wound: slight); discharged to No 4 Command Depot, Wareham, 15 December 1916.
Proceeded overseas to France, 2 February 1917; rejoined Bn, in the field, 9 September 1917.
Wounded in action (second occasion), 5 May 1917 (gun shot wound, left leg and chest); admitted to 3rd Casualty Clearing Station, 6 May 1917; transferred to Ambulance Train No 4, 8 May 1917, and admitted to 6th General Hospital, Rouen, 9 May 1917; transferred to England, 19 May 1917, and admitted to Reading War Hospital, 20 May 1917 (gun shot wound, left leg: severe); discharged on furlough, 10 August 1917, to report to No 1 Command Depot, Perham Downs, 24 August 1917.
Proceeded overseas to France, 20 October 1917; rejoined Bn, in the field, 4 November 1917. Detached to 1st Brigade Musket School, 18 January 1918; rejoined Bn, 1 February 1918.
Wounded in action (third occasion), 17 April 1918; admitted to 1st Australian Field Ambulance, 18 April 1918, and transferred to 15th Casualty Clearing Station (gun shot wound, thigh, fractured right femur); gangrene).
Died of wounds, 18 April 1918.
Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal
Biography contributed by John Oakes
George ELLI, (Service Number 5685) was born on 19th April 1888 at Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales. He worked for the NSW Railways as a porter in the Traffic Branch in the Orange District from May 1913. He was released from duty to join the Expeditionary Forces on 23rd August 1915, the same day that he signed his Attestation Papers at Dubbo.
He left Australia from Sydney on 3rd June 1916 on board HMAT ‘Kyarra’. He reached Plymouth two months later. After a month in England he went to France and joined the 1st Australian Infantry Battalion in September. In November he received a serious gunshot wound to his shoulder and was evacuated to England. It took until February 1917 for him to recover from this wound. He had returned to the unit in France. He was wounded on a second occasion on 5th May 1917, this time to his chest and left leg. He was again evacuated to England. Following furlough in August, he had recovered sufficiently to return to France in October. He re-joined his Battalion on 4th November.
On 17th April 1918 he was wounded for the third time. He had a fractured femur and gangrene. hee died of those wounds at the 15th Casualty Clearing Station, France, on 18th April 1918. He is buried in Ebblingham British Cemetery, 4¾ miles WNW of Hazebrouck.
- based on notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
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