Regimental number | 1516 |
Date of birth | |
Place of birth | White Hills, Bendigo, Victoria |
Religion | Methodist |
Occupation | Potter |
Address | 90 Ramsay Road, Haberfield, Sydney, New South Wales |
Marital status | Single |
Age at embarkation | 23 |
Height | 5' 4" |
Weight | 126 lbs |
Next of kin | Mother, Mrs Mary Ann Abbott, 90 Ramsay Road, Haberfield, Sydney, New South Wales |
Previous military service | Nil |
Enlistment date | |
Date of enlistment from Nominal Roll | |
Place of enlistment | Liverpool, New South Wales |
Rank on enlistment | Corporal |
Unit name | 30th Battalion, 1st Reinforcement |
AWM Embarkation Roll number | 23/47/2 |
Embarkation details | Unit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A72 Beltana on |
Rank from Nominal Roll | Lance Corporal |
Unit from Nominal Roll | 30th Battalion |
Fate | Killed in Action |
Place of death or wounding | Battle of Fromelles, France |
Age at death | 24.7 |
Place of burial | No known grave |
Commemoration details | V.C. Corner (Panel No 2), Australian Cemetery Memorial, Fromelles, France |
Panel number, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial | 116 |
Family/military connections | Brother: 3186 Pte Herbert ABBOTT, 56th Bn, returned to Australia, 22 July 1917. |
Other details |
War service: Egypt, Western Front Embarked Sydney, 9 November 1915; disembarked Suez, 11 December 1915. Joined A Company, 30th Bn, Tel-el-Kebir, 15 February 1916. Appointed Lance Corporal, 11 March 1916. Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 16 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 23 June 1916. Wounded in action and reported missing, 20 July 1916. Base Records informed mother, 16 August 1916, that 'L/Cpl. E.W. Abbott ... has been reported wounded'. It wrote further, 18 September 1916: 'The nature of his wounding, and the name of the hospital in which he is located are not known here.' Red Cross File No 10206 has statement from 277 H.C. RICHARDS, 20 March 1917: 'I saw him wounded by machine gun [fire] and badly at that for he was hit in the stomach. It was in No Man's Land. They tried to take him away to a dressing station but none of us ever seen (sic) him in the trenches again. It was July 20th [and] I feel sure he died of his wounds. He was not a prisoner I think, for we had a list of the prisoners and his name was not on the list.' Statement from Captain J.A. CHAPMAN, 13 January 1917: 'He was wounded in the stomach by a rifle buller, and was last seen in No Man's Land on the night of 19.7.1916.' Court of Inquiry, held in the field, 23 July 1917, pronounced fate as 'killed in action, 20 July 1916'. Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal Mother wrote to Base Records, 17 March 1917: 'I have had letters from three different soldiers, who told me he was shot in the stomache (sic) and he was in the dressing shed behind the lines and had his wounds dressed from that all trace of him is lost. One soldier who wrote was in the shed at the same time getting his wounds dressed ... Is it likely he could be a prisoner and not be able to write, I am sure he would if he possible (sic) could it is eight months now and the suspense is awful.' |
Miscellaneous details | Mother's subsequent addresses: 'Stroude', Dalhousie Street, Haberfield, New South Wales; Wimbledon Street, Five Dock, New South Wales |
Sources | NAA: B2455, ABBOTT Ernest William
Red Cross file 10206 |