Albert Ernest (Ern) MASTERS

Badge Number: SALM191, Sub Branch: Port Neill & Wharminda
SALM191

MASTERS, Albert Ernest

Service Numbers: 1709, 1709a
Enlisted: Not yet discovered
Last Rank: Lance Corporal
Last Unit: 50th Infantry Battalion
Born: Wokurna, South Australia, 27 November 1895
Home Town: Barunga North, Barunga West, South Australia
Schooling: Wokurna
Occupation: Farmer
Died: Port Neill, 19 August 1975, aged 79 years, cause of death not yet discovered
Cemetery: Verran Cemetery, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia
Memorials: Port Broughton War Memorial
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World War 1 Service

11 Apr 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1709, 50th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: ''
11 Apr 1916: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1709, 50th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Aeneas, Adelaide
11 Nov 1918: Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 1709a, 50th Infantry Battalion
20 May 1919: Discharged AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 1709, 50th Infantry Battalion

Help us honour Albert Ernest Masters's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by tony griffin

Albert Masters was the son of Albert and Catherine Gertrude (nee Smith) Masters of Barunga North. 

Albert was born at Wokurna in 1895. A farmer, he was 20 years old when he enlisted in Adelaide on 29 February 1916. Albert was appointed to 2nd Reinforcements 50 Battalion and embarked from Adelaide aboard HMAT A60 “Aeneas” on 11 April 1916. He was taken on strength of 50 Battalion on 30 May 1916. Albert would be wounded three times.

In August 1916 50 Battalion was in the front line between Moquet Farm and Pozieres and was heavily bombarded. On the 16th Albert suffered shell shock and was taken from the trenches. 8 days later he rejoined his unit. Two months later he was taken sick to hospital in the field. Suffering from bronchitis and rheumatism he was invalided to England on 23 November. On 2 February 1917 he returned to France to rejoin 50 Battalion and on 28 March he suffered shell concussion when the outpost lines of 50 Battalion south of Noreuil were shelled. He was again taken from the field and returned to his unit three weeks later. Albert was again taken from the field in September suffering fibrositis before returning to his unit a month later. Finally in February 1918 severe dysentery caused Albert to be invalided to England on 24 February 1918.

Albert embarked from Liverpool aboard HT “Orca” on 19 February 1919 and disembarked in Adelaide on 29 March. He was discharged in Adelaide on 20 May 1919.

 

 

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Biography contributed by Geoffrey Stewart

Ern was born in 1895 at Wokurna (near Port Broughton, SA) to Albert Masters and Katherine Gertrude Masters (nee Smith). He was the eldest of 8 children in the family. His father was a farmer at Barunga North (near Snowtown).

Ern went to school in the Wokurna area. On completion of schooling he undertook employ on the family farm until his enlistment in the Army on 29 Feb 1916 at the age of 20 years. At the time he entered his occupation as farmer and his address as Barunga North.

After enlistment in Adelaide he was sent to 2nd Depot Battalion (Bn) for recruit training; during which he was posted to 50th Bn. At the completion of training he embarked aboard HMAT "Aeneas" on 11 Apr 1916, bound for the Middle East, disembarking on 27 May 1916 and moving to Te-el-Kebir (Egypt) and taken on strength by his unit (50th Bn).

The 50th Bn had been raised in Egypt on 26 Feb 1916 as part of the "doubling" of the AIF. Approximately half of its strength was fresh recruits predominantly from S.A.  The Bn, embarked at Alexandria (Egypt) on 5 Jun 1916, disembarking at Marseilles (Fr) on 11 Jun 1916.

The Bn fought its first major battle at Mouquet Farm, 13-15 Aug 1916, and suffered heavily. Ern was wounded in action (WIA) during this battle and was admitted to 12th Field Ambulance on 16 Aug 1916 with shrapnel wounds. He rejoined his unit a week later.

The harsh winter of 1916-17 saw Ern again admitted to hospital, this time with Bronchia-pneumonia. He was classified as seriously ill and was evacuated from Le Havre (Fr) to UK aboard the HS "Formosa" and admitted to 3rd London General Hospital on 23 Nov 1916 where he remained until 16 Dec 1916, when he was transferred to 3rd Auxiliary Hospital in London. He was released from hospital on 19 Jan 1917 and embarked from Folkstone (UK) aboard the SS "Princess Clementine" on 2 Feb 1917 bound for Etaples (Fr); he returned to his unit on 10 Feb 1917.

His stay was short as he was again admitted to hospital on 28 Mar 1917 with shell concussion. He returned to his unit on 18 Apr 1917, just after his unit’s involvement in the attack on Noreuil.

On 26 May 1917 he was promoted to Lance Corporal.

The Bn then moved to the Ypres (Belgium) sector and was involved in the battle of Messines 7-12 Jun 1917 and the battle of Polygon Wood 26 Sep 1917. During this latter battle, Ern was again WIA; he was evacuated to 12 Field Ambulance with shrapnel wounds and remained there for a week before returning to his unit. On 11 Feb 1918 he reported sick with dysentery. He was admitted to 14th Static Hospital at Bologne (Fr) before being evacuated aboard HS "St. David" to UK and admitted to Addington Park War Hospital. Unfortunately his health remained poor and he contracted severe influenza and was admitted to Fovant Hospital, on 26 Jul 1918. He remained there for over 3 months before being released and given recuperation leave until 16 Jan 1919, when he was attached to the Divisional Training Depot. On 19 Feb 1919 he embarked aboard the SS "Orca" at Liverpool for return to Australia, disembarking in Adelaide on 5 Apr 1919 and taking his discharge on 20 May 1919.
Ern returned to Barunga where he resumed work on the family farm and other farms in the area in an effort to raise enough money to purchase his own farm. On 6 Mar 1923 he married Ivy Ellen Davies at the Wokurna Methodist Church. As a wedding gift his mother in law gave him a farm at Barunga, Section 255, Hd of Wiltunga.

He then purchased his own farm of 1500 acres (600 Ha), at Wharminda - Sect 9, Hd of Verran - in 1928. The couple settled on it to raise a family of 5 children, 3 boys and 2 girls. This was referred to as the "home" farm. A short time later he purchased a second block, of a similar size to the first and approximately two miles (3 Km) apart. Both blocks had been partly cleared; the "home farm" remains in the family today.

Ern was a staunch supporter of the Port Neill/Wharminda RSL; he was recognised with a Life Membership. He regularly travelled to Adelaide for Anzac Day marches, seldom missing a march and a reunion with his Bn mates

Ern's wife died suddenly on 12 Sep 1954 when the children were still quite young. She was buried in the Verran Cemetery. He remained on the farm until he retired to Port Neill; he died on 19 Aug 1975 and is buried in the Verran Cemetery. He rests beside his wife.

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