Pte
Ernest Ambrose Mulhall

Informatie over geboorte

Geboortejaar:
1895
Geboorteplaats:
Dubbo, New South Wales, Australië

Algemene Informatie

Beroep:
Winkelbediende

Informatie legerdienst

Land:
Australië
Strijdmacht:
Australian Imperial Force
Rang:
Private
Service nummer:
3163
Dienstneming datum:
06/10/1916
Dienstneming plaats:
Rutherford, New South Wales, Australië
Eenheden:
 —  Australian Infantry, 56th Bn.  (Laatst gekende eenheid)

Informatie over overlijden

Datum van overlijden:
26/09/1917
Plaats van overlijden:
Jetty Wood, België
Doodsoorzaak:
Killed in action (K.I.A.)
Leeftijd:
22

Gedenkplaats

Onderscheidingen en medailles 2

British War Medal
Medaille
Victory Medal
Medaille

Points of interest 2

#1 Geboorteplaats
#2 Dienstneming plaats

Mijn verhaal

Ernest Ambrose Mulhall was born in 1895 and was the son of James and Elizabeth Mary Mulhall. Ernest worked as a shop assistant and baker apprentice before enlisting. He joined up in October 1916 - though he had previously been rejected for service, due to his eyesight - and embarked for Europe in November.

By September 1917 he served in the Australian Infantry 56th Battalion, part of the 14th Australian Brigade, of the 5th Australian Division. From September onward the Division participated in the Battle of Passchendaele and on 26 September 1917 it attacked Polygon and Jetty Wood with two Brigades, the 14th Australian Brigade on the left and the 15th Australian Brigade on the right. The attack of the 14th brigade was carried by the 53rd Battalion; the 55th and 56th Battalions were in support.

Once the 53rd Battalion had captured and consolidated the Butte in Polygon Wood, the attack was taken up by the 55th and 56th Battalions. The 56th reached its objective, a ditch in Jetty Wood, dubbed the Blue Line, by 9.15 a.m. and had cleared Jetty and Jumper Trenches by 11 a.m. Any further progress seemed impossible, as the troops on the right had been held up, and the men would be subjected to enfilade fire from Juniper Trench once they left the cover of the ditch. So the 56th started consolidating their positions on the Blue Line.

The attack had been a success. Polygon Wood had fallen and the allies now had a foothold in Jetty Wood. But casualties in the 56th had been high. During their time in the frontline a total of 39 men were killed, 117 men were wounded and 106 men went missing. Private Ernest Ambrose Mulhall was one of the men who was killed in action on 26 September 1917. The 22-year old possibly fell during the attack on Jetty Wood. Ernest has no known grave and is remembered on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.

Bestanden 1

Bronnen 4

56th Australian Infantry Battalion, (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/73/20).
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1338583
Gebruikte bronnen
Australian War Memorial
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10248327
Gebruikte bronnen
First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455, MULHALL E A).
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/NameSearch.aspx.
Gebruikte bronnen
McCarthy C., Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Uniform, 2018), pg. 94-95.
Gebruikte bronnen

Meer informatie 4