The AIF Project

Ernest Otto Alfred BRUNS

Date of birth11 September 1890
Other trainingPupil Teacher; Junior and Senior Public Examination, University of Adelaide; Portion BA, University of Adelaide
ReligionCongregational
OccupationArea officer
AddressOlive Street, Murray Bridge, South Australia
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation24
Height5' 9.25"
Weight144 lbs
Next of kinMother, Mrs Antoinetta E Bruns, Olive Street, Murray Bridge, South Australia
Previous military serviceServed in the Senior Cadets; 79th Infantry, Citizen Military Forces (18 months).; Served in the Senior Cadets; Commissioned (February 1912-February 1913); 79th Infantry; commissioned (February 1913-May 1914); Area Officer, Kadina, from May 1914.
Enlistment date23 September 1914
Rank on enlistmentLieutenant
Unit name16th Battalion, H Company
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/33/1
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A40 Ceramic on 22 December 1914
Rank from Nominal RollLieutenant
Unit from Nominal Roll16th Battalion
FateKilled in Action 2 May 1915
Place of death or woundingGallipoli, Turkey
Date of death2 May 1915
Age at death from cemetery records24
Place of burialNo known grave
Commemoration detailsThe Lone Pine Memorial (Panel 50), Gallipoli, Turkey

The Lone Pine Memorial, situated in the Lone Pine Cemetery at Anzac, is the main Australian Memorial on Gallipoli, and one of four memorials to men of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Designed by Sir John Burnet, the principal architect of the Gallipoli cemeteries, it is a thick tapering pylon 14.3 metres high on a square base 12.98 metres wide. It is constructed from limestone mined at Ilgardere in Turkey.

The Memorial commemorates the 3268 Australians and 456 New Zealanders who have no known grave and the 960 Australians and 252 New Zealanders who were buried at sea after evacuation through wounds or disease. The names of New Zealanders commemorated are inscribed on stone panels mounted on the south and north sides of the pylon, while those of the Australians are listed on a long wall of panels in front of the pylon and to either side. Names are arranged by unit and rank.

The Memorial stands over the centre of the Turkish trenches and tunnels which were the scene of heavy fighting during the August offensive. Most cemeteries on Gallipoli contain relatively few marked graves, and the majority of Australians killed on Gallipoli are commemorated here.

Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
78
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Commemorated in Murray Bridge Cemetery, South Australia. Headstone inscription reads: 'He died for freedom and honour'. Parents: August (d. 14 November 1918, aged 77; bu. Murray Bridge Cemetery) and Antoinette BRUNS (d. 1 May 1935, aged 75; bu. Murray Bridge Cemetery), Murray Bridge, South Australia. Native of Callington. ~
Other details

War service: Egypt, Gallipoli

Proceeded from Alexandria to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, Gallipoli, 12 April 1915.

Killed in action, 2 May 1915.

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

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