Ernest William Serls

Australia's Fighting Sons of the Empire p.142
courtesy Neville Browning
photo Linton Reynolds
Personal Information
Date of Birth	unknown
Place of Birth	Fremantle, Western Australia
Death	4 Oct 1917
Place of Death	Hill 40 near ZXonnebeke, Belgium
Age at Enlistment	26 years, 9 months
Description	5'6½" (1.69m) tall; weight 140 lbs (63.5 kg); fresh complexion, brown eyes, black hair
Occupation	firewood contractor
Religion	Congregational
Address	'Hillside', Armadale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father Mr M. Joseph Serls
Military Information
Reg Number	2410
Date of Enlistment	5 Apr 1916
Rank	Corporal
Unit/Formation	44th Battalion, 4th Reinforcement to 13th Platoon, D Company / 11th Brigade 4th Division
Date of Embarkation	13 Oct 1916 - 12 Dec 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A39 Port Macquarie
Fate	Killed in Action 4 Oct 1917 on Hilll 40
Monument	Armadale (Bedfordale panel) Bedfordale Honour Board Armadale Congregational Church Honour Board
Medals	british War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Electoral Roll entry - 1916 labourer living in Armadale.

War Service

Fit for Service ......E.W. Serls, Armadale.

Following arrival in England Ernie was posted to 11th Training Battalion before proceeding on the SS Invicta to France through Folkestone on 4 Feb 1917.

Joined the 44th Battalion on 6 Feb 1917 while they were in the line near Armentiès in cold and frosty weather. Promoted Corporal on 11 Sep 1917. In the early morning of 4 Oct 1917, the 44th Battalion was involved in an attack on the German lines east of Ypres. Although they obtained their objective and suffered reasonably light casualties, Ernie Serls was one of them.

Red Cross file statement by WEG Dods 876;

"I knew Serls, he had just been promoted Corporal. He was killed at Hill 40 by a shell, I attended his funeral there which was conducted by a padre. He was found lying dead next to Mc Cann...."

Mentioned in The Drill of the Foot-Hills 1917 Feb-Mar edition, but on detail.

Notes

Buried in TYNE COT CEMETERY, BELGIUM - Plot XLI; Row B, Grave 20 . located 9 Kms north-east of Ieper (Ypres) town centre, on the Tynecotstraat, a road leading from the Zonnebeekseweg.