Ernest Albert Batt

Personal Information
Date of Birth	not known
Place of Birth	Jarrahdale, Western Australia
Death	6 Sep 1938, aged 57
Place of Death	Katanning
Age at Enlistment	35 years, 10 months
Description	5'7" (1.70m) tall; weight 165 lbs (74.8 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 Mar 1916
Rank	Lance Corporal
Unit/Formation	3rd Pioneer Battalion, D Company
Date of Embarkation	6 Jun 1916 - 26 Jul 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A62 Wandilla
Date of Return	19 Apr - 31 May 1919
Ship Returned On	HMAT A74 Marathon
Fate	Returned to Australia
Monument	not known
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

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 and the 3rd Australian General Hospital.

He was on 30 Dec 1918 evacuated to England aboard the HMHS Cambria and transferred to 1st AGH 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.