Fordham, Eric Surrey Wynter

Lieutenant Eric Fordham – 11^th Battalion AIF

Eric Surrey Wynter Fordham was born in Richmond Victoria in 1889 to Arthur and Jessie Fordham. He was one of several siblings as Malcolm was born in 1882 in Adelaide SA, Darrel in 1892 and Noel in 1894 in Broken Hill NSW. The Fordham’s moved to Western Australia shortly after Eric’s birth and they set up residence in Preston Point Road East Fremantle. Eric was educated at Fremantle Boys School and after finishing his study there was sent for further schooling to Perth Technical College. Unfortunately in 1907 Arthur died and in 1910 his wife Jessie remarried to an ex Scottish soldier by name of Laughton.

In the years after leaving school Eric worked for Messer’s. Wilshire and Feeley in Fremantle but then embarked upon a career of surveying and draughtsmanship in which he worked around the south west portion of the state for the Lands Department. During this time Eric had also managed a career in the military forces of the state, as well as being a prominent member of the local rifle club. After going through a cadet scheme at school, Eric joined the Western Australian Infantry Regiment (W.A.I.R). He was posted to “F” Company of this Regiment which was known as the “Fremantle Highlanders”. He rose to the rank of Colour Sergeant and though his work in the Surveying industry necessitated a break from the military service it would not be for long.

Soon after he left the military that the citizens forces in Australia underwent a change and WA was given three main infantry units known as the 84^th, 86^th & 88^th Regiments of the Citizens Military Forces. Eric returned to serve with the 86^th Regiment which was based in Fremantle and he was appointed a Lieutenant. His brothers also served in the 86^th prior to the Great War.

Eric got married prior to the Great War to Susan Louisa Carter and they would have two children, Geoffrey born in 1913 and Collyn Eric in 1915, with the family setting up residence in North Perth. During 1914/15 Eric saw his two younger brothers enlist in the AIF, but he was retained in the 86^th Infantry, and detached for duty to the permanent forces. Eric’s job from 1914-16 was to help train the new recruits of the AIF and he was soon posted to the N.C.O.’s School at Claremont Camp where he was made the 2^nd in command.

It seems that Eric was getting frustrated at training the men for the AIF but being kept on Home Service. However he was soon permitted to leave the training school and in August 1916 successfully applied for a commission in the AIF. The medical examiner found Eric to be 5 feet 10 & ½ inches tall; weight of 12 stone and chest measurement of 36 inches. Eric was appointed with Lieutenant Gostelow to command the 24^th Reinforcements to the 11^th Battalion AIF.

After a few months of training this group left Fremantle WA on the 29^th January 1917 aboard the HMAT Miltiades. The sea journey took just under two months and the ship arrived at Devonport Harbour on the 27^th March 1917. They were disembarked from the ship and sent to the 3^rd Training Battalion at Durrington Camp on the Salisbury Plains. Due to his previous training experience it appears that Eric was put on the staff of the 3^rd Training Battalion. He remained there for the next few months but on the 14^th June was sent on a course at the Southern Command Signal School at Weymouth. This course lasted until the 28^th July and Eric passed, qualifying as an Instructor.

Eric was kept on duties in England until the 27^th August 1917 when he boarded a transport ship and set sail across the Channel to France. Upon arrival in Le Havre he was marched into the 1^st Australian Division Base Depot and stayed there until the 9^th September when he marched out to join his unit. Two days later he located the 11^th Battalion in Belgium and Eric was taken on strength of “D” Company.

He had joined them just in time to take part in the Third Battle of Ypres as just a week after joining them; the 11^th Battalion arrived at Ypres. On the 20^th September 1917 the 11^th Battalion were involved in operations during the Battle of Menin Road near Glencourse Wood. They successfully took all their objectives but Eric was hit in the stomach, some reports say by shrapnel, others by a bullet. Whatever the cause; Eric was badly wounded and again there were mixed reports as to what happened next.

A stretcher bearer, No.652 Private E.G. Hope stated that Eric had been killed by a bullet and he retrieved Eric’s pay book and disc which he handed to an 11^th Battalion officer. Other reports stated that Eric had only been wounded by shrapnel during the advance but was being evacuated to Clapham Junction dressing station when another shell fell and killed him. It was initially reported that Eric was buried near where he fell but his brother in the 12^th Field Ambulance was not far away on the battlefield and later reported that he visited Eric’s grave at map reference Sheet 28 J.14.a.5.6 which would put the grave at the Western edge of Glencourse Wood.

However it appears that if there was a grave it was lost at some point in the next few years. A Memorial Cross was erected by the 11^th Battalion in Hooge Crater Cemetery in plot H. Staff Sgt Darrel Fordham contacted the war graves authorities to tell them that all the graves which were in the vicinity of Eric’s were being transferred to Hooge Crater Cemetery. However if Eric was transferred to this cemetery it was as an unknown soldier of the Great War. As a result his name is commemorated on the 11^th Battalion panel on the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres.

The Fordham family mourned Eric’s death, but they still had three sons to worry about in the conflict. Fortunately, Darryl, Noel and Malcolm Fordham all survived the Great War and made it home to Western Australia.