Jarman, Ernest Hewitt

No.866 – Corporal Ernest Hewitt Jarman – 32^nd Battalion AIF

Ernest Hewitt Jarman was born in Brisbane Queensland on the 20^th January 1890 to Richard and Elizabeth Jarman. He was educated in Brisbane and after he had finished his schooling he came with his parents to Western Australia. The family took up residence at Richmond Hill, Bellevue St East Fremantle and Ernest took up work as a Clerk. On the 25^th June 1915 Ernie went to the Perth Drill Hall and enlisted in the AIF. He was passed as fit with the medical examiner finding him to be 6 feet 1 inch tall; weight of 146 lbs; chest measurement of 35-37 inches; fair complexion; brown eyes and dark hair. His religious denomination was Methodist.

Ernie was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was allotted to No.15 Depot Company. He remained in this training depot until the 15^th August 1915 when he was transferred to “C” Company of the 32^nd Battalion AIF. Both “C” & “D” Companies trained at Blackboy Hill Camp in Perth for the next few months. They were then transferred to Adelaide where they joined up with the South Australian “A” & “B” Companies. The whole Battalion was then able to train together for a few weeks before they actually left Australia. On the 18^th November 1915 the 32^nd Battalion boarded the H.M.A.T. “Geelong” in Adelaide and set sail overseas.

The 32^nd Battalion arrived at Suez in Egypt on the 18^th December 1916. The men were disembarked and sent into camp. Before they arrived the men’s expectations would have been that they would be sent on to Gallipoli. However with the Dardanelles campaign coming to an end, the 32^nd Battalion as part of the 8^th Brigade remained in Egypt. They would actually stay in Egypt until midway through June 1916. During this time they would undertake training and would also be used in the Suez Canal Defence Line. In March 1916 when the AIF expanded from two divisions to five, the 8^th Brigade became part of the 5^th Division with the newly formed 14^th and 15^th Brigades.

On the 25^th May 1916, when the 32^nd Battalion were situated at Ferry Post, Ernie was admitted to the 8^th Field Ambulance suffering from Influenza. After three days rest he recovered and rejoined the Battalion at Moascar. Just over two weeks later on the 17^th June 1916 the 32^nd Battalion arrived at Alexandria Harbour where they boarded the H.M.T. “Transylvania” for the journey to France. Arriving at Marseilles on the 23^rd June 1916, the men were disembarked and marched through the city to the Railway Station where they boarded a train which would take them to the north of France.

The 5^th Division arrived in the Fleurbaix sector in early July and after a few days began to relieve the 4^th Division units. The 32^nd Battalion was one of the last units to arrive and only had a few days experience of the front line before they were thrown into the disastrous Battle at Fromelles. During this assault the 32^nd Battalion had an unsupported flank and even though they managed to take the German trenches, German soldiers were able to come around the side and surround the men. Those men of the 32^nd Battalion still remaining then had to charge through the Germans in an attempt to get back to their original lines, with very few making it.

Less than 200 of the 32^nd Battalion answered their names at the roll call following the battle out of the 1000 that took part in the advance. Originally Ernie was reported as Missing and to give credence to this; fellow soldiers reported that he had been taken prisoner of war. However his name never appeared on a POW list and nothing more was heard about him. While many of the dead had their effects returned through the Red Cross by the Germans, Ernie’s was not among them. He is therefore commemorated on the VC Corner Memorial on the 32^nd Battalion panel.

His brother Herbert Jarman served in the 3^rd Division Signal Company in the war and returned home in 1919.

In 1920 Ernest’s Mother laid a plaque in the Avenue of Honour in May Drive Kings Park.