Ewart, David Benjamin
2400 Private David Benjamin Ewart - 51st Battalion AIF
David Benjamin Ewart was born in Toodyay WA in 1880 to William and Eleanor Ewart and was one of six siblings born into the family. He lived his early life in Toodyay but then the family moved to Fremantle.
After leaving school David took up an apprenticeship in Drapery in Fremantle. This apprenticeship lasted for four years after which he took up full time employment as a draper. The family lived at 4 Johanna Street North Fremantle.
On the 27th February 1916 David went into Fremantle and enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was passed as fit for enlistment with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 7 inches tall;
Weight - 144lbs;
Chest Measurement - 31-34 inches;
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Grey;
Hair - Brown.
After his successful enlistment, David was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp and spent a week at the Depot Training unit being taken through the basics of infantry work. He was then transferred to the 2nd Reinforcements to the 44th Battalion AIF. He remained with this group for a month but then on the 2nd June 1916 was transferred to the Signallers School.
David spent a month training to be a Signaller and on the 1st July 1916 was transferred into the 5th Reinforcements to the 51st Battalion AIF. He trained with this group in WA for the next few months.
On the 20th September 1916 David and his group entrained to Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Uganda. The ship then set sail for England, reaching Plymouth on the 15th November 1916. David and his group were then disembarked and sent to the 13th Training Battalion on the Salisbury Plains.
David trained here for the next several weeks and on the 28th December 1916 proceeded over to France. He spent a few weeks at the 4th Australian Division Base Depot at Etaples and then was taken on strength of the 51st battalion on the 19th January 1917.
The 51st Battalion were then located on the Somme battlefield near Flers and were undergoing a very cold French Winter.
In March 1917 the Germans began a withdrawal to their pre-prepared defensive position known as the Hindenburg Line. The Australian and British units pressed their withdrawal closely and several sharp actions took place at what was known as the Outpost villages.
On the 2nd April 1917 the 51st Battalion helped to capture the French village of Noreuil. David came through that action safely but was then sent to hospital with a septic foot. Fortunately it was not a severe injury and he was back with the 51st Battalion on the 12th April 1917.
The 51st Battalion remained on the Bullecourt front through April 1917. They soon received notice that they would be heading to Belgium where they would take part in the Messines offensive.
In the Messines Offensive the 51st Battalion would be involved in taking the latter objectives of the battle which was a tougher prospect as the Germans had got over the initial shock of the opening day of the offensive when 19 large mines were exploded beneath their front line trenches. However the men of the 51st successfully took the objectives allotted to them. On the 9th June 1917 David was wounded by shrapnel in the right leg.
After treatment at the Field Ambulance and Casualty Clearing Station David was transported to the French town of Wimereux where he was admitted to the 32nd General Hospital. David spent the next week there and on the 17th June 1917 was shipped to England.
On arrival he was sent to Lakenham Military Hospital at Norwich. He remained here for several weeks and on the 6th August 1917 was transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield. He only spent two days here and was then transferred to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth.
David had been medically assessed and it was recommended that he be returned to Australia. On the 27th August 1917 he boarded the New Zealand Hospital ship Pakeha and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 14th October 1917.
On being disembarked David was sent to No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace Fremantle for a medical examination.
David was discharged from the AIF on the 20th December 1917 and he was then granted a military pension of 20/- per fortnight.
David returned to work as a Draper and continued to lived at 4 Johannah Street in North Fremantle through to the early 1930's.
His mother died in Fremantle in 1922 and his father in North Fremantle in 1924.
David moved to South Perth in the 1930's and began work as a departmental manager. He was in this role through to the 1960's.
David died on the 31st May 1971 aged 90. He was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery.