HALL, Ernest John

Ernest’s birth to Albert and Elizabeth Hall was registered at Inverell in 1894.  He was a twenty four year old Labourer when he enlisted at Inverell on 24 January 1916.  He joined other district men to form the Second Contingent of The Kurrajongs who left Inverell together on 29 February for the Narrabri and Armidale camps.

At Armidale he became a member of A Company depot Battalion.  Training took place at Armidale and Rutherford until the battalion sailed from Sydney on HMAT A74 Marathon in May.  Unfortunately for Ernest he became ill on the ship and was disembarked at Freemantle, Western Australia and admitted to East Subiaco Hospital with Cerebo spinal meningitis.  Following his recovery, Ernest continued his voyage at the end of January 1917 on A28 Miltiades arriving in England in March. Just a month later he was admitted to hospital with mumps but rejoined his battalion two weeks later.  He was transferred to the 51st Battalion and sent to France in mid July.  His war ended when he was Killed in Action on 27 September 1917. 

Private Ernest Hall has no known grave, however his name is one of thousands inscribed on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium.  At Inverell his name is recorded on the town’s Honor Roll and Cenotaph. He was also one of the 215 men for whom a memorial tree was planted in Kurrajong Parade in 1919.