Andrews, Ernest William
No.298 Private Ernest William Andrews – 44th Battalion AIF
Ernest Andrews was born in Fremantle in 1892 to William and Ellen Andrews. The family lived at 100 Queen Victoria Street and Ernest was educated at the nearby Fremantle Boys School. After leaving school he took up a trade in motor mechanics and was also employed as a driver.
When he enlisted into the AIF in January 1916, he was 23 years old. After being passed as fit he was assigned to B Company of the newly forming 44th Battalion AIF. The medical officer found Ernie to be 5 feet 5 ½ inches in height; weight of 116 lbs; chest measurement to 32-37 inches; fresh complexion; brown eyes and dark brown hair. His religious denomination was Church of England.
The 44th Battalion undertook the majority of their training at Claremont Showgrounds until early June 1916. The battalion embarked at Fremantle on the 6th June 1916 aboard the A29 Suevic and set sail for England, arriving at Plymouth Harbour on the 21st July 1916.
After their arrival in England the battalion undertook another few months of training on Salisbury Plain, during which time Ernie was admonished by the CO for going absent without leave for a few hours from the 17th to the 18th of October 1916. His punishment was the forfeiting of one days pay.
The 44th Battalion only departed for France in late November 1916. The 44th had their first experience in the front line around Armentieres in December 1916. They would stay in this sector for the next few months to get acclimatized to the battlefield.
On the 18th February 1917, Ernie was wounded by shell fire and unfortunately before any help could be given he died of his wounds the same day. A mate of Ernie’s was Ernest Sweetman who wrote to a friend;
“By the time you receive this letter you will have heard of the death of poor old Ernie Andrews. Being in the same platoon & Company as him also the next section we spent many a happy night together, both in Larkshill and when on leave in England also here…Loved by all who knew him he was a great favourite with others and how sad the boys are without him. To give you an idea of how he died, being hit in the front line with a young chap by the name of Bert Evans of North Perth, and another comrade by the name of King, Ernie lived until carried down to the Red Cross Station about 800 yards from the front line where he died after being dressed. His fellow mate also died, Evans, while the other one is in England badly wounded. Up to the present we have been putting in for each friend’s grave and I can tell you the graves are looked after very well, there is a large white cross with a circle around it and it gives you the dates when they were killed. While I am here I will look after the boy’s graves as much as I can.”
Pte Ernest William Andrews of the 44th Battalion was buried behind the lines in Armentieres at Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery Plot 3.E.24.
After Ernie’s death his mother received a pension of 40/- fortnightly, she later moved to Preston Point Road in East Fremantle.