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Ernest Selkirk MID

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Ernest Selkirk MID
Selkirk Ernest.jpg
Selkirk Ernest & 51st Bn brothers.jpg
AWM P00088.002 51st Bn Officers 1917. Selkirk front row, 4th from right
Personal Information
Date of Birth not known
Place of Birth Minyip, Victoria
Death 9 Jun 1917
Place of Death Messines, Belgium
Age at Enlistment 28 years, 8 months
Description 5'7¾" (1.72m) tall; weight 138 lbs (62.6kg); fair complexion, brown eyes, light brown hair.
Occupation Timber yard foreman
Religion Methodist
Address Jarrahdale, Western Australia
Next of Kin Wife Mrs Mabel Kate Selkirk
Military Information
Reg Number 2572A
Date of Enlistment 16 Aug 1915
Rank 2nd Lieutenant
Unit/Formation 28th Battalion, 6th Reinforcement transferred to 51st Battalion.
Date of Embarkation 2 Nov 1915 - 26 Nov 1915
Ship Embarked On HMAT A38 Ulysses
Fate Killed in Action 9 Jun 1917 Messines
Monument Jarrahdale War Memorial
Medals 1914-15 Star
British War Medal
Victory Medal with MID clasp


Pre War

On 27 Dec 1911 Ernest married Mabel Kate Hettich.

Electoral Roll entries - 1910 Jarrahdale, mill hand; 1912 - 1915 Marrinup Mill, yard foreman.

War Service

On arrival in Egypt, Ernest and his colleagues trained for the Western Front with the 7th Training Battalion at Zeitoun.

He was an Acting Corporal with the 6th reinforcement draft of the 28th Battalion when he was transferred on 3 Mar 1916 to the newly formed 51st Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt. On transfer his rank reverted to Private, and an A was added to his regimental number.

From 5 -12 Jun 1916 Ernest, along with the rest of the 51st Battalion was aboard HMT Ivernia travelling from Alexandria to Marseilles. On arrival they were carried by train (cattle trucks) to northern France. Promoted to Corporal in France on 17 Aug 1916, and to Temporary Sergeant on 25 Sep 1916.

Promoted to 2nd lieutenant on 8 Feb 1917 [1].

  • Menin Gate memorial 2015 phot L. Reynolds
  • 2015 photo L. Reynolds


Award Comment

on 7 Nov 1917 he was mentioned in Sir Douglas Haig's Despatch for gallant services and devotion to duty in the field during the period 26 Feb 1917 to Midnight 20/21 Sep 1917.(The period relates to the time covered by Haig's despatch, not Ernest's efforts.)[2][3]

Post War

A pension of 70/- per fortnight was granted to Mabel from 18 Aug 1917. Mabel remarried in Jarrahdale during 1920 to Richard Witnish.

Notes

Buried south of Wulveghem - Messines road, just Southwest of Messines. However, the grave could not be located at the end of the war, and thus Ernest is commemorated on the Menin Gate memorial in Ypres.

  1. AIF List 144
  2. Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No. 57 dated 18th April 1918
  3. London Gazette No. 30448 dated 18 Dec 1917.

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