Ernest Harcourt (Sammy) ELY

ELY, Ernest Harcourt

Service Number: 702
Enlisted: 17 August 1914, Castlemaine, Vic.
Last Rank: Lance Sergeant
Last Unit: 7th Infantry Battalion
Born: Harcourt, Victoria, Australia, 1889
Home Town: Harcourt, Mount Alexander, Victoria
Schooling: Harcourt State School
Occupation: Orchardist
Died: Killed in Action, Mouquet Farm, France, 18 August 1916
Cemetery: Delville Wood Cemetery, Longueval
Plot XVI, Row Q, Grave No. 6, Delville Wood Cemetery, Longueval, Picardie, France
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Bendigo Great War Roll of Honor, Harcourt Methodist Church Sunday School Roll of Honour, Harcourt War Memorial, Yarra Junction War Memorial
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World War 1 Service

17 Aug 1914: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 702, 7th Infantry Battalion, Castlemaine, Vic.
19 Oct 1914: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 702, 7th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '9' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Hororata embarkation_ship_number: A20 public_note: ''
19 Oct 1914: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 702, 7th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Hororata, Melbourne
25 Apr 1915: Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 702, 7th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, GSW to head. Evacuated to Egypt. Returned to unit 26 May 1915.
6 Jul 1915: Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 702, 7th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, Concussion and shell shock. Evacuated to England. Returned to unit 15 January 1916 (Egypt).
28 Feb 1916: Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 7th Infantry Battalion, Egypt
21 Jul 1916: Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 7th Infantry Battalion, France
23 Jul 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 702, 7th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières
10 Aug 1916: Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Sergeant, 7th Infantry Battalion, France
18 Aug 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Sergeant, 702, 7th Infantry Battalion, Mouquet Farm
18 Aug 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, 702, 7th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 702 awm_unit: 7 Battalion awm_rank: Lance Sergeant awm_died_date: 1916-08-18

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Biography contributed by Robert Wight

Ernest Harcourt Ely is also remembered on the Harcourt Methodist Church Honour Roll, Harcourt School Honour Roll and the Harcourt War Memorial, Vic.

Biography

Ernest H Ely nicknamed "Sammy" was an orchadist at Harcourt, Victoria. He embarked to the Middle East from Melbourne,Australia 18th October 2014 on the ship "HMAT A20 Hororata". He proceeded to the Galipoli Peninsular on 5 April 1915 and was on the second landing at Galipoli on 25 April with the 7th Batallion. He was injured during the landing and in a letter to the Army on 3 October 1921 from his mother Clara she wrote that he had carried a bullet extracted from his head in his pocket as a "Momento".

He was admitted to the 2nd General hospital on the 30th April then evacuated to Cairo and to Base at "Zeitoun" on 6th May. He was then transferred to Alexandria on 22nd May1915.

He rejoined the 7th Batallion on the 26th May 1915 and was again injured in action on the 6th July 1915 and was admitted to the Dardanelles on the 7th July suffering concussion and shock. He was evacuated to Malta on the HS "Gascon" leaving on the 11th July. He was admitted to St Georges military hospital at Malta on the 28th July. He was then transferred to "All Saints" convalescent Home on the 6th August. He was then transferred via ship "HS Ascania" to England to the 3rd London General Hospital "Wandsworth" on the 11th September 1915.

He rejoined the 7th Batallion via ship "HS Der Flinger" at Tel El Kabir on 15th January 1916. He was appointed Lance Corporal in the field on the 26th February 1916 and proceeded to France on 31st March 1916. He was appointed Corporal in the field on 21 July and then Lance Seargent in the field on 10th August 1916.

Lance Sergeant Ernest Harcour Ely was reported "Missing in Action" at Pozzieres on the 18th August 1916. His remains were not found and confirmed by his identity disc until 6th July 1923. Some 7 years since he went missing. 

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