Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Mary BARRETT of 14 Priory Road, Southbourne, Bournemath, England

Amputated Right Leg

Ernest Barrett born on the 2nd March 1890 in Southbourne, Hampshire UK. He was the third child to Josiah and Mary Barrett (nee Jeans). In the 1911 census he was listed as a gardener / domestic who was living with his mother, 2 brothers and a sister. On the 13th January 1913 he left England aboard the “Ontranto” sailing to South Australia. He arrived on the 22nd February. He continued to work as a gardener in South Australia until he enlisted the following year.

Enlistment:

Ernest enlisted on the 14th December 1914 into the 4th Reinforcement of the 10th Battalion at Morphettville. He was 24 years and 9 months old at the time and listed his mother, Mary, in Bournemouth as his next of kin. He was a gardener by trade, stood at 5’10”, weighing 147 pounds with brown hair and eyes and a fair complexion.

Service:

Ernest left Adelaide aboard the Port Lincoln on the 1st April 1915 with 4th Reinforcements for the 10th Battalion. He was taken on strength by the 10th Battalion on Gallipoli on the 27th May. On the 8th July, most of the battalion were able to leave the peninsula and have 4 days away from the trenches on the island of Imbros. They returned to the Peninsula to again deal with the constant threat of bullets, shells and dysentery. Ernest avoided these throughout the summer months but on the 6th November, when the weather had turned colder and wet, he was evacuated from Anzac Cove with septic sores on his legs, otherwise known as “Trench Foot”.

He was evacuated to Malta where he remained in hospital until the 26th January 1916, when he was transported to Egypt, where the AIF was now stationed after having evacuated the peninsula in December. He re-joined the 10th Battalion on the 10th March. He was again sent to hospital on the 16th March still suffering from his trench foot infection.

Shortly after he arrived, the 10th Battalion was split in to two, with half the original battalion becoming the core of the new 50th Battalion. New reinforcements then brought both battalions up to strength. Ernest remained with the 10th and in late March left Egypt to travel to France. The battalion landed in Marseilles and then travelled by train to northern France where they were welcomed with open arms by the local French people. For some reason, possibly due to the condition of his feet, Ernest was sent to England to join the 3rd Training Battalion at Perham Downs. While he was there, he was reported for being absent without leave for two days on the 7th and 8th July. He probably went to see his Mum and family in Southbourne, not far from where he was training. His punishment was to lose 2 days’ pay and to be confined to camp for 7 days. He then missed defaulters’ parade on the 17th July, and for this he was awarded 168 hours Field Punishment No 2 (probably peeling spuds for the kitchen). He then was sent to France where he re-joined his battalion on the 30th July. He was lucky to have missed the 10th’s attack on Pozieres a week earlier when there were 350 casualties in the battalion, but there was still much fighting to be done. On the 18th August the 10th Battalion moved once more to the front lines near Mouquet Farm. On the 21st, the 3rd Brigade, including the 10th Battalion, attacked Mouquet farm at 6pm, the first daylight attack on this battlefield. While the battalion captured most of its objectives the casualties were high. They held their positions for 2 days until relived by the 21st Battalion. During this time Ernest would have experienced almost constant shelling as the Germans tried to regain lost ground. After this battle the battalion was sent to Belgium to the relatively quiet lines around Ypres. In September they were sent back from the lines to a camp near Poperinghe. No doubt they would have had time to go into Poperinghe, get their uniforms cleaned and deloused, and have a drink, good food and a chance to get away from the war somewhat. Most of their time however was spent in training, lectures and fatigues. 

On the 19th September the battalion moved closer to the frontlines at Railway Dugouts before entering the front line trenches in front of Hill 60 on the 24th. On the 27th the Germans exploded a mine under no man’s land but did no damage to the battalion.

In early October the battalion moved back to France and spent the winter months moving in and out of the frontline trenches around Guedecourt. This was the coldest winter that the area had experienced in decades, the trenches were thigh deep in cold mud. Despite his previous issues, he was not one of those 150 men from the 10th Battalion who were evacuated out due to trench foot in November. Most of this time was spent in training or supporting front line troops by carrying supplies toward the front line. In February of 1917 the German Army began a tactical retreat to its heavily fortified Hindenburg Line. As it moved back it ensure that Allied soldiers were kept at bay by intense rear-guard actions. On the 25th February the 10th Battalion was involved in attacking German trenches around Le Barque. Although the trenches were largely unmanned, machine guns and snipers were strategically placed to cause maximum casualties on the attacking battalions. Approximately 20% of the battalion was killed or wounded in this battle; Ernest got through unscathed.

On the 15th April, the German Army launched an attack on the Australian lines near Lagnicourt. While mostly unsuccessful, a small contingent did manage to capture some artillery pieces but were eventually overrun by members of the 3rd Brigade including the 10th Battalion.

Ernest must have impressed his superior officers during these battles as 6 days later he was promoted to Lance Corporal.

After a disastrous attack on the Hindenburg Line on the 11th April by the 4th Division, a second attempt to break through at Bullecourt was launched on the 3rd May. On the 5th May the 10th Battalion entered the front lines, immediately gaining trenches from the Germans. The 6th May saw further heavy fighting as the 10th launched an attack toward the village of Reincourt on trenches OG 1and OG 2 capturing more territory from the Germans and resisting counter-attacks intended to recapture the lost trenches. It was during this attack that Ernest was hit in the leg.

His service record records his wounds as either SW or GSW which could mean either shrapnel wound or gunshot wound, so it isn’t clear whether he was hit by rifle fire or artillery, but most likely the latter. He was evacuated from the battlefield to the 6th Field Ambulance, and then on to the 3rd Casualty Clearing Station at Grevillers, 13 km behind the lines from Bullecourt. He would have been stabilised here and treated as best he could, remaining in the clearing station for 43 days being moved to the 10th General Hospital at Rouen in Normandy. It was here that his leg was amputated at the thigh on the 19th June 1917. He was then transported back to England on the 25th June, arriving at the Military Hospital in Richmond, Surrey the following day. He remained there until the 9th October when he was transferred to the 2nd Auxiliary Hospital in Southall. He would spend the next 10 months there recuperating and adjusting to life without a leg. He did get furlo 3 times during his stay there, giving him the opportunity to visit his family or to go sightseeing.

He left England on the 15th of September 1918 aboard the troopship “Arawa” that returned him to Australia on the 17th November. 

On his return he was discharged as “medically Unfit” on the 1st of August 1919. Ernest went on to work in the South Australian Railways as a fitter and turner.

He married Myra Leask Bartley on the 14th April 1923 in the Baptist Manse at Glandore. They lived on East Avenue in Clarence Park. By marrying Myra Ernest became a brother -in – law to 2 other 10th Battalion veterans, Maurice, Myra’s brother and James Haynes who married her sister, Lois.

Their son John was born on the 17th March 1927. Unfortunately, Myra soon after developed breast cancer and died on the 9th December 1930.

Ernest continued to work in the railway until his retirement and lived in the same house with John and his family until his death on the 21st March, 1982, at the age of 92.