Aberle, Ernie
6191 Corporal Ernest Aberle MM - 12th Field Ambulance
Ernie Aberle was born in Adelaide South Australia in 1888.
The family moved to Western Australia while Ernie was still young and took up residence in Fremantle. Ernie worked as a Bakers Assistant and lived at 93 Alexandra Road South Fremantle.
Ernie tried to enlist early in the Great War but prior to the Great War he had an accident where a toe was shot off while he was out on a hunting trip. However this injury did not impeded him and in September 1915 he was successfully enlisted.
The medical examiner found Ernie to be 5 feet and 7 & 3/4 inches tall; weight of 145lbs; chest measurement of 37-40 inches; fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair.
He was assigned to the Reinforcements to the 4th Field Ambulance.
Ernie served towards the end of the Gallipoli campaign.
After arriving Ernie noted in his diary;
One shell burst within a few yards of us and there was a scatter, very soon after another came, things are only middling.
However not long after arriving, Ernie would be leaving Gallipoli as the decision had been made to evacuate. Ernie noted;
There is something going to happen shortly, we are all ready to move away at any time… there are plenty of rumours flying about, some say a new landing is being attempted which I hope is true, others say we are evacuating the peninsula, which if true is to sad for words, we have every reason to believe this, for yesterday the Ordnance stores were thrown open for the troops to help themselves to whatever they required, they are piling stores on the beach, building small jetties, for what reason one can only surmise.
The Anzac Battlefield was evacuated in December 1915 and Ernie and the AIF returned to Egypt.
As reinforcements were now in large numbers it was decided to increase the size of the Army. Ernie went on to form a new unit called the 12th Field Ambulance. The mates he came over with, Anton Andersen, Ray Davis and Ken McKenzie would also be joining him in this new unit. Ernie would spend the first five months of 1916 training in the Egyptian desert.
Up at 5am. Six miles before breakfast the worst of the journey so far, hills, sand, no tucker, the boys still falling out, our wagons full, some have died…the last stage of our journey, nine miles to go, the walking good today and plenty of water...I swam the canal today, it was just Bonza, nothing to do until tomorrow, very hot.
Got up early, Warrant Officer with a party and myself left at 9am on the motor train and got about a mile from Canal marking out a campsite, had marked out camp by 12 noon and were shortly afterwards joined by the rest of our unit, put up tents and had the camp fixed by dark.
31st of May: Looks like a move very soon…English Tommies are taking over this place and they are welcome to it.
3rd of June: Leaving here today at 5pm everything ready. I have my last swim in the canal.
Photo below - Ernie Aberle MM on left - Ken McKenzie on right
The 12th Field Ambulance now departed for France. After arriving at Marseilles, they were sent to Northern France near Armentieres.
12th June: Monday morning up at 4.30am the first night on French soil. Nice and cool after Egypt, and no dust. So far the French people trust us. Entrain at 9.30 after a very enjoyable march through the town, we start on a 11 kilometers journey, the people give us a great sendoff, all along the line the people were waiting to give us a last wave goodbye.
13th June: Did not get much sleep 25 in a truck. Up again at 4am and the fun still continues. The French people are going mad about us. The country is beautiful, very much like Australia. Started to rain today, and is still raining. We are within 20 miles of Paris, but did not go through.
14th June: A little better sleeping, we doubt we’ll have another welcome as this. The girls are very pretty, we arrived at Hazebrouck at 9.pm, the end of our train journey of 60 hours. We are then marched about 8 miles and billeted in different houses, we are very comfy in a barn, very cold, the firing line about ten miles away.
Ernie and his unit were soon heading for the Somme and the Australians actions at Pozieres. Ernie was part of the 4th Division AIF and he and his fellow field ambulance men were sent in to evacuate casualties in late July 1916. Private Ernie Aberle of the 12th Field Ambulance, 4th Division, went into Pozieres on duty rescuing casualties during the 2nd Division assault, and he was soon hard at work, which would barely cease for the next two weeks. He would be awarded the Military Medal for his efforts, one of the first awarded to the 4th Division for Pozieres. Ernie wrote of that time;
The saddest day of my life. one I will never forget. called up at 12 midnight false alarm, again at 1am this time the real thing, half an hour later we were sneaking into the trenches. Sights that would sicken anybody, it’s a marvel to me how the boys stick it. working until 3pm. I will pray tonight for the war’s end…Up and on duty again at 6pm. Plenty of casualties, Hansen, Bear, Camerson, Wiseman were all hit yesterday, with McClaren today. There are big things happening tonight, plenty of shell shock cases, they are sad…July 29 Working all through the night, our Boys attacked, 7th Brigade at 12pm gained their objective with very heavy losses…July 31st Up all night but not as busy as the night before, haven’t had a wash since I arrived here, had no time or water. Going back a mile for a spell today, get a rough time on the way back. Scottie Pope hit today, a lot of casualties here from the big shells. August 3 our guns kept them very busy last night expecting a big attack by our boys tonight. Went into Albert again today saw Andy and the rest of the boys. My shift is from 12 midday until 6pm; our division, the 4th are going into the trenches in a day or two, so we are here for a long time yet. August 4th. At 2am this morning the O.C. of the 5th Field Ambulance went mad. took all our blankets away and we done a perish the rest of the night with just our greatcoats. Too much whisky. Aug 5th. A very successful attack last night, our boys gained their objective, captured many prisoners. loads of wounded passed through here today, including many wounded of ours. Pat Bateman was killed. August 6th. Hard at it again plenty of wounded some have been out 4 and five days and are in a very bad way. Hell doing work...On duty at the Chalk pit at 7am work until 11am and then have to go to a new station a the saps are half full of slush and mud. We are in a terrible mess, chilled to the bones, our relief did not arrive and we have no tucker.
Ernie served at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm for nearly six weeks and was still evacuating casualties in early September 1916.
Never thought I would make this entry tonight. Today my squad with others have had charmed lives, we have been carrying on no mans land from the front line, across communication saps under very heavy fire, using the white flag. This day apart from all others I will never forget...our casualties were Sid Weir killed, Jimmy Sheedy and B Lyons wounded…raining again, bad for the Boys out there.
Up at 6am this morning to get ready to leave Reninghelst, about 830 we leave and march 10 miles to a place called Steenvorde, arrived at 1pm and we are camped away A and B Sections on our own…Not a bad sort of place, much larger than the last place. I went to Church last night with Andy to a RC Church close by. Had a hot bath and a good look around. Had tea and custard, and paid for it, everything here is very dear, and the people are not the nicest I have come across… A party of us leave for the advance aid post. Very quiet and it will do me for the rest of the war…We are relieved at 6pm tonight and go back to the advanced station, had one patient to take down in the 24 hours, this is a holiday, we are off duty now until 6pm tomorrow night. We had a singsong here in the dugout tonight and it was O.K…this does not seem like war compared to Pozieres.
September and October 1916 were spent in Belgium but then the Australians returned to the Somme.I was called up at 3.30am to go and bring in a fellow who had been hit about a mile away, he was not too bad and Dixie and I soon had him in, the track is very muddy, a job to keep your feet…Did not send the gas over last night as it started to rain, so that spoiled it, been very busy today not many wounded, but plenty of sick. Vic has just squashed a rat with a shovel. Our relief has just arrived…I went down to where the 51st are billeted, found Joe Blenkinsop, had tea together, the best feed I have had since leaving home, eggs, chips and tomatoes. Leaving here in the morning. It is pretty certain that we are going to have another go in at the Somme.
Ernie returned to Fremantle in July 1919 and in 1922 married Vera Rankin. The family lived in Hamilton Street East Fremantle where they raised three sons and a daughter. Two of his sons enlisted in World War Two, Andy into the Navy and Douglas into the Air Force. Douglas was lost over Germany in November 1943 while flying with 460 Squadron RAAF. He was only 20 at the time of his death and he lies buried at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. A cousin, John Aberle of the 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion died in 1942 during the Battle for Singapore. Ernie also served in his second war, this time with the Volunteer Defence Corps. Ernie was very active in the RSL, becoming President of his local club and later being awarded a life membership. In 1970 he was awarded a British Empire Medal for his services to the welfare of returned servicemen. Ernie Aberle died on 12th of April 1977 aged 91.
Pictured below (from left to right, Ernie Aberle MM - standing, Ken McKenzie Croix de Guerre - sitting, Ray Davis - sitting and Anton Andersen - standing)