Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Eric was the son of Oscar Ernest ELY & Rhoda Isabel HARRY was born on the 16th of August 1910 in Glanville, SA.
His parents were married on the 20th of June 1910 at the residence of her parents, Henry & Gertrude HARRY in Pt Adelaide. Rhoda was 7 months pregnant with Eric when they married.
His mother was the daughter of Henry John HARRY & Gertrude SMITH and was born on the 15th of January 1893 in Sandwell, SA.
His father was the son of Thomas ELY & Louise Anny Mary SCHULTZE and was born on the 18th of March 1891 in Portland, SA.
Eric was the oldest of 3 children born into the family.

Eric was 3 years old when his first brother; Robert Henry, was born in 1913. Sadly, Robert died when he was 18 months old, on the 11th of December 1914 in Pt Augusta. They buried Robert in the Pt Augusta Cemetery.
Eric was nearly 6 years old when his youngest brother; Ronald Walter, was born on the 5th of March 1916 in Semaphore.
The family moved to Young Street in Parkside.
Eric was educated at the Pt Adelaide Technical High School.
In December 1920, when Eric was only 10 years old, his parents were in the Civil Court as his father had applied for a Divorce on the grounds of his mother misconducting herself with a man from Anna Creek Station.
His father remarried to Clarice Ruby WHITEHORN on the 28th of March 1925 at the Memorial Church, Stow, SA. Clarice was the daughter of Frederick William WHITEHORN & Louisa Ann COX and was born on the 16th of May 1896 in Koolunga, SA.
Eric was 15 years old when his half brother; Maxwell Thomas, was born on the 24th of February 1926.

Eric married Doreen Avis CHAPMAN on the 17th of December 1936 in the Registry Office, Adelaide, SA.
Doreen was the daughter of James Paul CHAPMAN & Charlotte Laura STEER and was born on the 16th of January 1914 in Piccadilly, SA.
Eric was a Gardener.
They lived at 2 Gertrude Street, Norwood.
His brother; Ronald, enlisted into the RAAF on the 27th of April 1940 in Adelaide and was allotted the service number 26355.

Eric joined the CMF on the 6th of August 1940, he was a private in the 4th Garrison Battalion, service number S338.
At the age of 30, Eric enlisted into the 2/10th Battalion on the 21st of March 1941 in Adelaide and allotted the service number SX11867.
They were entrained at Woodside Camp before embarking for the Middle East on the 10th of April 1941.

The 2/10th was thus destined to become one of the famed 'Rats of Tobruk' Battalions, where in 1941, it played a significant part in stopping the Germans by holding out against a combined and sustained assault by the German Africa Korps and the Italian Army.
They were withdrawn in September 1941 and then served on the Syrian - Turkish border, where another German attack threatened, until early 1942.
On the 29th of March 1942 the Battalion was then returned to Australia following Pearl Harbour and the Japanese entry into the war.

After brief home leave and moves to Tenterfield and Kilcoy, the 2/10th and its parent 18th Brigade embarked from Brisbane for Milne Bay in Papua, on the 6th of August 1942.
During the Battle of Milne Bay on the night of the 27th of August 1942 they were overwhelmed by Imperial Japanese marines and suffered significant casualties.
After regrouping and reinforcement the battalion participated in the Battle of Buna-Gona, first attacking Buna on the 23rd of December 1942.
The following day, on the 24th of December, Eric was seriously wounded with multiple gun shot wounds to his chest, left forearm & thigh.
His left arm was amputated 3 days later.
He embarked from Pt Moresby for Brisbane on the 8th of January 1943 and then transferred to the
113 Australian General Hospital in Concord, NSW. He was transferred to 105 Australian General Hospital in Adelaide on the 6th of February and remained hospitalised for a further 7 months recovering from his injuries.
Eric was discharged medically unfit on the 23rd of November 1943.

His brother; Ronald died on the 11th of May 1944 on a non operational night exercise at RAF Station Wigsley, England. Five days later his half brother; Maxwell Thomas enlisted into the RAAF and was allotted the service number 152936.

Eric died on the 16th of June 1986 and is buried in the North Brighton Cemetery.
Doreen died in 2010 and is buried with Eric.
They had 3 daughters