Ernest Henry CHRISTIAN, 1897–1977 (aged 79 years)
- Name
- Ernest Henry /CHRISTIAN/
| Birth | January 30, 1897 |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Farmer. |
| Death | January 24, 1977 (aged 79 years) |
| Burial | 1977 (aged 79 years) |
| himself |
1897–1977
Birth: January 30, 1897 — Willenabrina, Vic. Death: January 24, 1977 — Kenmare, Vic. |
|---|---|
| wife |
1898–1989
Birth: July 28, 1898 — Illabrook, Vic. Death: September 26, 1989 — Camperdown, Vic. |
| son |
Private
–
|
| Birth | No. 7403 |
|---|---|
| Death | No. 3044 |
| Note | Ern and two of his friends, Stan THORNTON and Albert HOLLAND, enlisted in the army after a recruitment rally held at the hall at Willenabrina (Vic) on 6 May 1916. Ern subsequently served as a private in the 6th Battalion A.I.F. during the Great War (No.6470). Of the three mates who went away to war, only Ern returned safely to Australia. Stan died of wounds received at Passchendaele in Belgium on 13 Oct 1917, and Albert died in a hospital in England on 11 Apr 1919 from wounds received in France a year before. Ern was wounded in action and returned to Australia as an invalid in 1919. His war service records are online. After returning to Australia Ern farmed, raised his family, and saw out his days, on his Soldier Settlement block at Kenmare (Vic). Ern was seriously injured when he fell from the roof of his nephew Perce ROBERTS' machinery shed while he was helping with the construction at Willenabrina around 1952. He landed head-first on a cut-off tree stump, and broke his neck. He was taken to hospital on the flat-bed of Perce's truck. They were told when they arrived at the hospital that this had saved his life, because he would have died if they had tried to sit him up in the seat of a car. He eventually made a complete recovery. |