Beard, Ernest George
236 Lance Corporal Ernest George Beard MM - 10th light Horse Regiment
Ernest George Beard was born in Mildura Victoria in 1893 to Henry and Caroline Beard. He was one of several children (check ancestry) and when the family was still young they moved to Western Australia. Upon arrival they took up residence at 53 Holdsworth Street Fremantle.
Ernie was educated at Fremantle Boys School and after leaving school became a horse Driver and prior to the Great War had gone to the countryside to work as a boundary rider.
On the 19th October 1914 Ernie enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was found to be fit for enlistment with the medical examiner recording Ernie's physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 6 & 1/2 inches tall;
Weight - 8 to 12 stone;
Chest Measurement - 33-37 inches;
Complexion - Dark;
Eyes - Grey;
Hair - Dark.
Upon his successful enlistment Ernie was sent to Claremont Camp and was taken on strength of "B" Squadron of the 10th Light Horse Regiment. His brother Hubert had been assigned to "C" Squadron. The 10th Light Horse would train in various places such as Guildford, Claremont, Fremantle and Rockingham over the next few months.
They soon received their orders to embark. Ernie, as part of "B" Squadron left Fremantle on the 8th February 1915 aboard the transport ship Mashobra. Hubert Beard, left over a week later with "C" Squadron on the transport ship Surada.
Before he left Fremantle Ernie had his photo taken on his horse.
Arriving in Egypt in March 1915, the 10th Light Horse were sent to the recently vacated infantry lines at Mena where they were soon joined by the 8th & 9th Light Horse Regiments and so formed the full complement of the Third Light Horse Brigade. Training occurred for the Light Horse through March and April and soon word came back about the Australian and New Zealand Infantry landing at Anzac Cove. Wounded soldiers brought back the tales of the campaign and no doubt the Light Horse was eager to be done training to have a crack at the Turk.
In May 1915, the Light Horse Regiments were sent to the Gallipoli battlefield, minus their horses, as they would go into the lines as infantry. The majority of the 10th Light Horse sailed for the Dardanelles, reaching there on the 19th May. The 10th spent their time between the outposts of the Northern sector and Walkers Ridge, spending much time at the vital position at Quinn's Post.
Ernie's brother Robert soon joined the 10th Light Horse as a reinforcement, so now along with Hubert and Ernie, three of the Beards were now on Gallipoli. Robert had been assigned to "C" Squadron but managed to join Ernie in "B" Squadron.
On the 30th May 1915 the 10th Light Horse attacked Turkish positions at Quinn's Post. Ernie and Hubert survived unscathed but Robert was severely wounded and was evacuated. Sadly Robert would died of his wounds in hospital in Egypt on June 14th 1915.
As part of the large August Offensive, the 8th & 10th Light Horse Regiments were given the task of attacking the Turkish positions at the Nek. This was to support the New Zealanders who were supposed to be attacking Chunuk Bair at the same time. However this did not occur and the Light Horse were cut down by machine gun fire. The two lines of the 8th were wiped out and the 10th followed to the same result.
Ernie took part in the charge and went out with "B" Squadron. Miraculously Ernie survived the charge without being wounded. He also survived the subsequent actions later in August 1915 at Hill 60 when Lt Hugo Throssell was awarded the Victoria Cross.
However the constant action was taking a toll on his health and on the 26th September 1915 Ernie was evacuated with influenza. He was taken to Egypt and was admitted to hospital. He spent the next few weeks under care but on the 22nd October 1915 was released and returned to the Light Horse base camp in Egypt.
In November Robert was sent to hospital again as it was found he was also suffering from malaria. He wasn't sent back to Gallipoli but was retained in Egypt and he rejoined the Regiment after Gallipoli had been evacuated.
In March 1916 Ernie had another bout of influenza but doesn't appear to have been hospitalised for long. He served with the 10th Light Horse for the next six months including the action at Romani in August 1916.
In September 1916 Ernie was sent to the 14th Australian General Hospital at Abbassia ill and was diagnosed with venereal disease. He was transferred to the 31st General Hospital in Port Said Egypt. Ernie was in hospital until the 25th October 1916 and was then transferred to the 3rd Light Horse Brigade Training Regiment.
Ernie rejoined the 10th Light Horse Regiment on the 16th January 1917. He served with them through the rest of 1917, seeing action at Gaza, Beersheba and Jerusalem. After the capture of Jerusalem the advance continued and the Light Horse and British infantry captured Jericho.
Through 1918 the advance continued through the Jordan Valley through in May 1918 an unsuccessful action took place against the Turkish forces. The Turks fought fiercely as Es Salt was the key to the Moab foothills and through the 10th Light Horse captured the village they later had to retire due to large Turkish assaults which threatened to outflank them.
However, Ernie who had just been promoted to Lance Corporal, missed the Es Salt action as on the 25th April he had been sent to a school of instruction for Non Commissioned Officers at El Arish. On the 23rd May 1918 he qualified from the school with 1st class marks. Ernie then returned to the Regiment for a few weeks in June 1918 but on the 1st July 1918 was sent to a rest camp at Port Said. He spent a few weeks here and then rejoined his unit.
On the 15th August 1918 Ernie was promoted to Temporary Corporal but by the 4th September reverted back to Lance Corporal. On the 16th September 1918 Ernie was sent to the 3rd Light Horse Brigade Dump at Ludd through returned to his unit the next day.
On the 19th September 1918, the great advance against the Turks commenced with the 10th light Horse being in action at Jenin. With his Squadron Ernie was one of the first Light Horseman into Jenin and was being fired at by Turkish and German soldiers. He would be awarded the Military Medal for his efforts. The official recommendation reads;
L/Cpl EG Beard being one of the advance party which entered Jenin on the night of the 20/9/1918. He showed great dash and pluck at close quarters and although fired at by Germans from motor lorries, persisted in advancing, thereby inspiring all ranks near him and took the first batch of prisoners. He also performed splendid work in the attack against and subsequent capture of 533 enemy and 37 machine guns at Duma on the morning of 1/10/1918 when accompanied by L/Cpl Brenner and a handful of men he pushed forward through the undergrowth and with great gallantry and skill charged and captured an enemy machine gun which was causing much trouble and delaying the advance.
Ernie was in the thick of the action and came through unscathed and he also participated in the 10th Light Horses' capture of Damascus prior to Lawrence of Arabia and his arab army entering the City.
The Turks surrendered soon after the fall of Damascus and the Germans a few weeks later on the 11th November 1918.
Ernie injured his knee and was sent to 14th Australian General hospital in Abbassia. It was advised by the medical authorities that Ernie be sent home to Australia. On the 15th January 1919 Ernie boarded the transport ship HMAT Demosthenes and returned home, disembarking in Fremantle on the 22nd February 1919.
Ernie was discharged from the AIF on the 27th April 1919.
After his arrival home Ernie married Annie Davisine Fenwick in Perth. They would have a son Leslie born in 1920, Ronald in 1921, Ernest in 1924 and Joan in 1931.
The family lived in Subiaco and Victoria Park through the 1920's and 30's.
During World War Two his son Leslie died on the 1st December 1942 in the Timor Sea while serving on the HMAS Armidale.
Ernest died on the 4th December 1965 aged 72. He was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery.