Pte
Ernest Perfect
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 26/06/1892 |
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Place of birth: Woodville, Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand |
General information
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Profession: Mill Hand, Sawmill |
Army information
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Country: New Zealand |
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Force: New Zealand Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 32781 |
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Enlistment date: 29/07/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Trentham, Wellington, New Zealand |
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Units: — Otago Regiment, 2nd Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 12/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Marsh Bottom, Passchendaele, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 25 |
Memorial
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Tyne Cot, New Zealand Apse Panel: 3 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Private Ernest Perfect, a former mill hand, served in the 2nd Otago Battalion, part of the 2nd New Zealand Brigade, New Zealand Division. His battalion took part in the First Battle of Passchendaele on 12 October 1917.
The New Zealand Division attacked with two brigades, the 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade on the left and the 2nd New Zealand Brigade on the right. The jump-off line of this last Brigade was located between the Ravebeek on the right and Peter Pan on the left. The 2nd New Zealand Brigade consisted of the 2nd Battalion of Otago, the 1st Battalion of Otago and the 1st Battalion of Canterbury. The 2nd Battalion of Otago was to lead the attack and capture the Red Line (the first objective) which extended from the Ravebeek on the right across Bellevue Spur on the left.
Reaching the jump-off line south of Peter Pan along the Ravebeek was difficult due to the muddy ground conditions and enemy fire. At 5.25 a.m. the opening barrage commenced and the 2nd Battalion of Otago advanced. The right struggled up from Marsh Bottom while the left flank was held up by uncut wire. The combination of uncut wire and machine gun fire from pillboxes on the crest of Bellevue spur made further advancement impossible. The surviving attackers were told to dig in where they were, which was southwest of Laamkreek.
Private Ernest Perfect was Reported missing on the 12th of October 1917. A finding by a court of inquiry changed this status to ‘missing and presumed killed in the field’ on 19 November 1917. His body was never recovered. Private Perfect is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing.
The New Zealand Division attacked with two brigades, the 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade on the left and the 2nd New Zealand Brigade on the right. The jump-off line of this last Brigade was located between the Ravebeek on the right and Peter Pan on the left. The 2nd New Zealand Brigade consisted of the 2nd Battalion of Otago, the 1st Battalion of Otago and the 1st Battalion of Canterbury. The 2nd Battalion of Otago was to lead the attack and capture the Red Line (the first objective) which extended from the Ravebeek on the right across Bellevue Spur on the left.
Reaching the jump-off line south of Peter Pan along the Ravebeek was difficult due to the muddy ground conditions and enemy fire. At 5.25 a.m. the opening barrage commenced and the 2nd Battalion of Otago advanced. The right struggled up from Marsh Bottom while the left flank was held up by uncut wire. The combination of uncut wire and machine gun fire from pillboxes on the crest of Bellevue spur made further advancement impossible. The surviving attackers were told to dig in where they were, which was southwest of Laamkreek.
Private Ernest Perfect was Reported missing on the 12th of October 1917. A finding by a court of inquiry changed this status to ‘missing and presumed killed in the field’ on 19 November 1917. His body was never recovered. Private Perfect is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing.
Sources 6
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A.E. Byrne, Official History of the Otago Regiment, N.Z.E.F. in the Great War 1914-1918, Dunedin: Wilkie & Co, Ltd., jaar van uitgave onbekend, p. 209-224. Sources used |
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Auckland Cenotaph https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C12229?n=Ernest%20Perfect&ordinal=0&from=%2Fwar-memorial%2Fonline-cenotaph%2Fsearch Sources used |
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Chris McCarthy, Passchendaele : The Day-by-Day account, London : Unicorn Publishing Group, 2018, 128-130. Sources used |
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CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/848064/perfect,-ernest/ Sources used |
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Discovering Anzacs http://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/ Sources used |
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The Long, Long Trail https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/ Sources used |