Military History

Embarked Fremantle per HMAT ‘Berrima’ A35 for England 23.12.1916.
Roll Rank Private.
Roll Unit 5th Pioneer Battalion. 8th Reinforcement. Australian Imperial Force.
Cox disembarked at Devonport, England with the 5th Pioneer Battalion. 8th Reinforcement 16.2.1917. He marched in to Larkhill 18.2.1917. During his training he was allocated to the 10th Battalion 3rd Training Battalion 11.7.1917. Cox proceeded overseas to France with his training unit 6.8.1917. He transferred to the 10th Battalion. Australian Imperial Force from the Pioneer Battalion 22.8.1916. Cox fought on the Somme and at Pozieres. In September he was admitted to Hospital sick, with ‘severe’ trench fever 20.9.1918. He was invalided by Hospital Ship ’Warilda’ to England and admitted to East Bath War Hospital 22.9.1917. He was reported in local WA paper as seriously ill (West Australian Newspaper 22.11.1917). On recovery and discharge from Hospital he was deemed fit for active service and proceeded to France to join the 1st Machine Gun Battalion 9.4.1918. Cox was again admitted to hospital sick 25.6.1918. He was demobilised and listed for return to Australia.
Embarked for Australia per ‘Kildonian Castle’ 21.3.1919.
Returned/Disembarked 27.4.1919.
Discharged 17.6.1919.
Final Rank Private 1st Machine Gun Battalion.
Medical Condition NK.
Awards and Medals British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Photos HMAS 'Berrima' under construction 1913. Unsourced image Wikipedia
               Fitness training at Larkhill Camp. Photographer unknown, photograph source AWM H00450
              Cemetery at Pozieres. Photographer unknown, photograph source AWM H16966

Information Source
AWM  H00450. Fitness training at Larkhill Camp. Photographer unknown, photograph sourced from the Pictorial Collection of the Australian War Memorial
AWM H16966. Cemetery at Pozieres. Photographer unknown, photograph sourced from the Pictorial Collection of the Australian War Memorial
Australian War Memorial Embarkation Roll- Ernest Albert Cox
Guildford Primary School Honour Roll
Guildford War Memorial
NAA: B2455, Cox E A
St. Matthew’s Honour Roll
West Australian Newspaper
Wikipedia. HMAS 'Berrima' under construction 1913. Unsourced image from Wikipedia website, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMAS_Berrima




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