Ernest Edward Lockhart

Ernest Edward Lockhart

Personal Information
Date of Birth	c1896
Place of Birth	Blakeville, Victoria
Death	12 Aug 1916
Place of Death	3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station Puchevillers
Age at Enlistment	19 years old
Occupation	Labourer
Religion	Methodist
Address	Gosnells, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father , Mr Charles Lockhart
Military Information
Reg Number	2676
Date of Enlistment	23 Jun 1915
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	16th Battalion, 8th Reinforcement
Date of Embarkation	2 Sep 1915
Fate	WIA 10 Aug 1916 Pozières DOW 12 Aug 1916 Puchevillers
Monument	Gosnells War Memorial Gosnells Road Board Honour Roll Gosnells Primary School Honour Roll Australian War Memorial
Medals	1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Enlisted in Pinjarra.

War Service

Ernest entered camp on 23 Jun 1915 and was allocated to the 8th reinforcement draft for the 16th Battalion.

On 18 Oct 1915 Ernest boarded HMT Kalyan in Alexandria for Mudros Harbour where he disembarked on 22 Oct 1915 and was taken on strength by the 16th Battalion the next day. The return trip to Alexandria was aboard HMAT A11 Ascanius, arriving there on 30 Dec 1915. His records are silent as to whether he landed on Gallipoli or remained on Lemnos Island.

Back in Egypt, on 27 Feb 1916 he was seen by the 4th Australian Field Ambulance suffering with influenza and transferred to the New Zealand Auxiliary Hospital in Ismailia. Discharged on 3 Mar 1916 he rejoined the battalion the same day. On 1 Jun 1916, along with his unit Ernest boarded HMT Canada in Alexandria Harbour for Marseilles in France, arriving there and disembarking on 9 Jun 1916.

At 7:00pm, on 9 Aug 1916 the 16th Battalion moved into the front line in preparation fro an attack on Pozières. Their particular task was to capture Circular Trench that lay between Pozières and Mouquet Farm. The attack was launched at midnight and was a great success with all objectives taken. The enemy responded with a very heavy artillery bombardment, and during the bombardment on 10 Aug 1916, Ernest received a very serious penetrating shrapnel wound to the head. Evacuated to the 3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station on 11 Aug 1916, he died from his wound the following day.

• 

  Puchevillers Military Cemetery
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  Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Notes

Ernest's parents received a telegram from Military officials on 8 Sep 1916 advising that he was wounded (27 days after he had died, and 29 days after he was wounded).