ERNST, Neville Lawrence
| Service Number: | 12305 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 19 February 1940, Richmond, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | No. 11 Squadron (RAAF) |
| Born: | West Maitland, New South Wales, Australia, 25 January 1918 |
| Home Town: | Kensington, Randwick, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Intermediate Certificate |
| Occupation: | Fitter |
| Died: | Accidental, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, , 8 December 1941, aged 23 years |
| Cemetery: |
Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea CWGC Grave No: Section B. Plot 2. Row C. Grave 15. Inscription: "WE GAVE "NEV" OUR LOVE, HE GAVE HIS LIFE. DAD, MUM AND SISTER ZENA". |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Corporal, 12305 | |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Feb 1940: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Aircraftman, 12305, Richmond, New South Wales | |
| 8 Dec 1941: | Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Corporal, No. 11 Squadron (RAAF), Killed in aircraft crash, Port Moresby, New Guinea. |
Neville Lawrence ERNST
Neville first flew in a plane with the late Sir Charles Kingsford Smith. The family, at the time, lived at West Maitland, and he, Zena, and their parents frequently flew with "Smithy" in the old Southern Cross to Sydney. Neville was always fascinated by aeroplanes, and at the age of eight won first prize at Maitland School in a model-aeroplane building competition. He had made large models of various types of planes before enlisting, six months after the outbreak of war. Gifted with a fine baritone voice, he won first prize in a singing competition at a country Air Force school, the song being "Pennies From Heaven"
-O.S.H.
Crashed at Port Moresby,8th December,1941
CREW-
FLT.LT. N.P.REID
P.O. L.J.SLOAN
CPL. N.L.ERNST
CPL. E.J.O'DONNELL
L.A.C C.J.MATHERSON
A.C.I. G.R.PETERSON
A.C.I. K.M.SIDEY
A.C.I. A.W.MAGEE
Submitted 3 January 2016 by Roy Andrews Andrews
Click images to start slideshow.