Errington, Reginald Ralph

2439 Private Reginald Ralph Errington MM - 43rd Battalion and 1st Machine Gun Battalion

Reginald Ralph Errington was born in Fremantle WA in 1897 to William and Eve Errington. He was one of eleven siblings born into the family. The family had recently moved from South Australia and on arrival in Fremantle were taking up residence at 19 Jenkins Street South Fremantle.

Reg was educated locally and after leaving school he took up work as a wireman.

During this time Reg had also served in the 86A Cadets of the Citizens Military Forces and also with the Garrison Artillery.

In 1916 Reg married Laura Louis Fletcher in Leederville WA and shortly after enlisted into the AIF on the 26th April 1916.

He was passed as fit by the Medical Examiner who recorded Reg's physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 5 & 1/2 inches tall;

Weight - 146lbs;

Chest Measurement - 35-38 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Grey;

Hair - Brown.

After his successful enlistment Reg was sent to Blackboy Hill Training Camp. He was initially assigned to No.67 Training Depot and had over a month undergoing basic infantry training. On the 20th June 1916 Reg was assigned to the 4th Reinforcements to the 44th Battalion. He had a month with this group but was then transferred to the 3rd Reinforcements to the 44th Battalion. However on the 22nd August 1916 he was sent back to the 4th Reinforcement group.

However right before embarkation occurred Reg and others from this group were transferred into the 4th Reinforcements to the 43rd Battalion AIF. Though the 43rd Battalion was nominally a South Australian unit they took a reinforcement group from WA.

On the 30th October 1916 Reg embarked from Fremantle Harbour aboard the transport ship HMAT Port Melbourne. The journey took several weeks, arriving at Devonport England on the 28th December 1916.

After being disembarked Reg and his group were sent to the 11th Training Battalion at Durrington Camp on the Salisbury Plains.

During this time in camp Reg caught up with a Fremantle mate, Basil Hackett, the photo being published in the paper back home.

On the 8th February 1917, Reg was sent to hospital suffering from influenza and spent several weeks there before returning to the 11th Training Battalion on the 28th March 1917.

On the 25th April 1917 Reg was put in a draft of soldiers going to France. On arrival at Etaples the following day, Reg was sent to the 3rd Australian Division Base Depot. He only had a few days there and was taken on strength of the 43rd Battalion on the 1st May 1917.

The 43rd Battalion were then in the vicinity of Ploegsteert Wood in southern Belgium. In June 1917 the 43rd Battalion took part in the Battle of Messines and in July were in action during the opening day of the Third Battle of Ypres on the 31st July 1917. The 43rd Battalion attacked German positions at Warneton and managed to capture their objective.

Fortunately Reg came through these actions unscathed and the 43rd Battalion continued to hold the line in the Messines sector till August 1917.

The 43rd Battalion took part in the Third Battle of Ypres during October and November 1917. On the 4th October 1917 the Battalion took part in the advance at Broodseinde Ridge near Zonnebeke. Reg was recommended for the award of the Military Medal for his actions that day; the official recommendation reads;

On 4th October 1917 N of Zonnebeke he carried several important messages from his Coy HQ to Battalion HQ during the day, having on each occasion to pass through heavy enemy barrage fire.

On the 10th October 1917 near Zonnebeke Reg was blown up by a shell suffering concussion and a wound to his back, and was also diagnosed with a bent back.

He had several weeks in hospital in France while he recovered, eventually rejoining his unit on the 5th January 1918. The notification of his being awarded the Military Medal came through shortly after he rejoined his unit. On the 5th February 1918 Reg was granted a weeks leave in England.

On his return the 43rd Battalion were holding part of the line in Belgium between Messines and Ypres.

On the 14th March 1918 he was sent to a divisional school, returning to his unit in April 1918.

In June 1918 Reg transferred to the 1st Machine Gun Battalion, his brother Harry being a soldier in this unit. Reg served with this unit for the remainder of the war.

On the 21st March 1919 he returned to Australia aboard the transport ship Kildonian Castle, disembarking in Fremantle on the 27th April 1919.

While Reg had been in Europe he had been told that his wife Louisa was being unfaithful with another returned soldier and had moved in with him. Reg applied for and was granted a divorce.

Reg then returned to England and on the 5th July 1920 in South Shields Reg married Ruhamah Amy Powell and they would have a son called Reginald who was born in South Shields on the 10th May 1921. They then returned to WA for a few years and took up residence in Passmore Avenue North Fremantle. Reg worked on the wharf as a Lumper. It appears as they returned to England as in 1929 another son Charles was born in Durham, followed by a daughter called Joy.

The family then moved back to Western Australia and took up residence in North Fremantle. Unfortunately the marriage did not last and in 1932 Reg and Amy divorced.

In 1936 Reg married for the third time, this occasion to Ellen 'Nellie' Bolwell, the marriage taking place in Perth. The couple then resided in Victoria Avenue North Fremantle and Reg had resumed his role as a Lumper on Fremantle wharf.

Reginald died on the 19th March 1971.