Ernest Albert Batt

Ernest Albert Batt

Personal Information
Date of Birth	May 1881
Place of Birth	Jarrahdale, Western Australia
Death	6 Sep 1938, aged 57
Place of Death	Katanning, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	35 years, 10 months
Description	5'7" (1.70m) tall ; 165 lbs 74.843 kg ; fresh complexion ; blue eyes ; brown hair
Occupation	Horse driver
Religion	Baptist
Address	Holyoake, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Wife , Mrs Sarah Mabel Batt
Military Information
Reg Number	1103
Date of Enlistment	2 March 1916
Rank	Lance Corporal
Unit/Formation	3rd Pioneer Battalion, D Company
Date of Embarkation	6 June 1916 ‒ 26 July 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A62 Wandilla
Date of Return	19 April 1919 ‒ 31 May 1919
Ship Returned On	HMAT A74 Marathon
Fate	Returned to Australia
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

A pupil of the Jarrahdale Primary School until 15 Jun 1896.

In 1906 Ernest married Sarah Mabel Wise in Beverley. Sarah died 19 Jun 1953 at Narrogin, aged 67.

Electoral Roll entries - 1909 - 1912 Ernest and brother Clarence are farming at Popanyinning with their wives. At time of enlistment, Ernest had moved to Holyoake to work as a mill hand.

War Service

A month after entering camp, Ernest is allocated to the 3rd Pioneer Battalion, and he travelled with them to England. On arrival in England the battalion went to the Lark Hill training area to prepare for France. The battalion entrained in Lark Hill for Amesbury on three trains on the morning of 24 Nov 1916, and at Amesbury they caught three other trains to Southampton where the majority of the battalion boarded the HMT Caeserea, and the rest the HMT Nirvanna.

Both ships arrived in Le Havre at 4.30am on 25 Nov 1916 and a day later the battalion entrained for Armentiès. on 26 Dec 1916 Ernest is sent to the 7th General Hospital in St Omer suffering with mumps, and doesn't rejoin his unit until 18 Jan 1917. After returning from a Rapid Fire course, on 21 Mar 1917 Ernest is appointed Lance Corporal. However on 30 May 1918 his request to revert to Private in order to be with his brother in the Transport Section was approved.

Granted an extended leave from 28 Feb to 14 Mar 1918, he continued with the 3rd Pioneers, and was appointed a Driver on 20 Aug 1918. On 10 Jan 1919 the military sent his wife Sarah a telegram advising that he had a severe case of pneumonia. He had been admitted to the War Hospital at Exeter on 31 Dec 1918 having transferred from the 13th Harvard USA General Hospital in France. Previously he had been treated by the 10th Australian Field Ambulance on 9 Dec 1918 and the 3rd Australian General Hospital from 9 Dec to 21 Dec 1918.

He was on 30 Dec 1918 evacuated to England aboard the HMHS Cambria and transferred to 1st Australian General Hospital at Sutton Veny on 24 Jan 1919, but was not well enough to leave medical supervision until 18 Feb 1919. As a result he was invalided home on 19 Apr 1919 on the HMAT A74 Marathon, arriving in Fremantle on 31 May 1919.

Discharged 5th Military District on 16 Jul 1919.

Post War

Electoral Roll entries - 1925 - 1926 Riviera Farm, Kojonup, farmer; 1931 - 1937 'Stewarton' Nyabing, farmer. In 1943 Sarah has moved to Andover street, Katanning, and the farm has been taken over by two sons, Ernest William, and Victor George.

Obituary

His many friends in the Nyabing and Katanning districts were grieved to learn of the death of Mt Ernest Albert Batt, of Nyabing, who passed away only a few hours after admission to the Katanning Hospital on Tuesday morning, aged 57 years.

Mr Batt had not enjoyed the best of health for the past 12 months, during which time he had been an inmate of the Gnowangerup Hospital for several weeks and unable to take an active part in his farming pursuits. The last seizure came late on Monday night, death taking place suddenly on Tuesday morning within eight hours of his arrival at the Katanning Hospital.

Mt Batt was engaged in farming at Carlecatup, Kojonup, until about 10½ years ago, when he moved to the Nyabing district and rented an extensive property, subsequently establishing his sons on farms adjoining. He was actively associated with public life at Nyabing, being a member and constant exhibitor of the Nyabing Agricultural Society and interested in all movements for the advancement of the district. Having seen active service in the Great War, he linked up with the Katanning Sub-Branch R.S.L. and retained his membership with that body up to the time of his death. He leaves a family of 10 children (five sons and five daughters) and a widow to mourn their loss, and to these the deepest sympathy of the community is expressed......

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Memorial