Ernest John Coles

State Library of Western Australia
Personal Information
Date of Birth	not known
Place of Birth	York, Western Australia
Death	7 Jun 1917
Place of Death	Messines, Belgium
Age at Enlistment	22 years, 1 month
Description	5'7½" (1.71m) tall; weight 146 lbs (66.2kg); dark complexion, brown eyes, dark brown hair.
Occupation	farm hand
Religion	Presbyterian
Address	Mundijong, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father Mr Jesse Coles
Military Information
Reg Number	1085A
Date of Enlistment	24 Jun 1916
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	44th Battalion, 2nd Reinforcement, transferred to the 33rd Battalion / 9th Brigade, 3rd Division
Date of Embarkation	9 Aug 1916 - 25 Sep 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A28 Miltiades
Fate	Killed in Action 7 Jun 1917 Messines, Belgium
Monument	Mundijong
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Enlisted in Mundijong.

War Service

Soon after joining Blackboy Hill camp, Ernest was allocated to the 2nd reinforcement draft for the 44th Battalion. Travelled with the draft to England, and spent 12 days in the ship' hospital with Measles.

On arrival in England, Ernest was taken on strength of the 11th Training Battalion at Lark Hill. On 12 Nov 1916 he was allocated to the 44th Battalion, but two days later he was taken on strength by A Company of the 33rd Battalion.

Ernest proceeded overseas to France through Southampton on 21 Nov 1916. There are no further entries in his records until his death on 7 Jun 1917.

Post War

Ernest's father received a pension at 20/- per fortnight from 9 Feb 1917 until his death a few years after the war concluded.

At time of his death his parents had moved to 71 Amherst road, West Midland. In Memorium card gives father, s having moved back to Mundijong where he was living with his daughter Mrs JE Osborn.

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  33rd Battalion panel on Menin Gate Memorial - Linton Reynolds photo 2015
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  Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Notes

While his records include an initial place of burial (Sh28 S.W. U.3 d.2.4 (AT 19796), his grave was not found later and thus he is recorded on the Menin Gate memorial in Iper (Ypres).