Description
1914-15 Star, officially impressed “901 SPR. E BOOTH. 1/D. SIG COY A.I.F.”
British War Medal, officially impressed “199 SPR. E. BOOTH. 3-SIG. COY. A.I.F.”
Victory Medal, officially impressed “199 SPR. E. BOOTH. 3 SIG. COY. A.I.F.”
A tragic WWI Gallipoli trio to a Sapper of the 1st Divisional Signal Company Engineers who was killed in action on the night of his first day as part of his unit, medals basically as issued and stapled to a piece of cardboard.
Ernest Booth, born in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England in 1891, was the son of William James Booth, and an immigrant of Australia after moving from England at the age of 17. In his early adult life, Ernest worked as a telegraph operator in central Queensland, and served with the Citizen Military Forces for about 18 months, listed as ‘territorials’ (territorial bases). On the 14th December 1914, Alfred attested for the Australian Imperial Force at Brisbane, Queensland and, due to his skillset, was posted to the reinforcements to the 3rd Field Company of Engineers, part of 1st Divisional Signal Company Engineers, as Sapper 901. Although given this service number, it appears the attestation forms went missing and his number was later changed to 199.
- Embarked from Melbourne on the 1st April 1915 aboard H.M.A.T. Ulysses
As per Ernest’s service records, it is stated that he was Taken on Strength from the reinforcements on the 3rd June 1915 and was also killed in action that very day – this is confirmed in the unit’s war diaries, where Lance Corporal Edgar Ernest Bird was also killed in action. The Townsville Daily Bulletin dated 16th August 1915 reported on the loss of Ernest Booth and gives further details, stating that on the evening of the 3rd June 1915, whilst assisting to repair a telephone line at Gaba Tepe (Gallipoli), a shell burst over the signallers and instantaneously killed the sappers. Gaba Tepe was a critical and dangerous sector of the Gallipoli frontline, serving as a primary observation point for Ottoman (Turkish) forces to direct artillery onto Anzac Cove. The bulletin also reported that the officer in charge of the Australian Signalling Company, Lieutenant J. Grant, wrote to Ernest’s parents that the loss of Sapper Booth was severely felt as he was always eager to do his share and keen to learn.
Ernest Booth was buried at the No. 1 Shell Green Cemetery.
