100 Days of Heroes: Soldier Ernest Liddall was gassed three times and died of pneumonia

At the time of the Armistice that ended World War I, Ernest Liddall, of South Hobart, was gravely ill with influenza in hospital in France.

Lance Corporal Ernest Liddall is remembered at tree 224 on the Soldiers’ Memorial Avenue.

MORE than 100 Tasmanian servicemen and veterans of World War I died in the first couple of years after the Armistice of November 11, 1918 — and countless others died in the decades that followed — from causes related to their war service.

At the time of the Armistice, Ernest Liddall, of South Hobart, was gravely ill with influenza in hospital in France.

MORE 100 DAYS OF HEROES:

KING’S HONOUR FOR HECTOR LONG’S GALLANTRY

JIMMY McDEVITT WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND TO ENLIST

Lance Corporal Ernest Edward Liddall.

Born on the Tasman Peninsula in March 1898, he was working as a labourer when he enlisted at Claremont in February 1916 — not quite 18 years of age. His family was by then living in Harold St, Cascades (now Degraves St).

He was not new to the military, having served in the cadets and local militia, but his time with the regular army did not get off to a great start.

While in camp at Claremont he was fined for being generally untidy and having a dirty tent, as well as forfeiting two days pay for overstaying his final leave before sailing for Europe on HMAS Berrima as a private with the 40th Battalion.

After three months’ training in England he was posted to France and served there for the rest of the war.

He was gassed three times and in 1917 was hospitalised with tonsillitis and bronchitis.

He was hospitalised again at the end of October, 1918, suffering from influenza. As his condition worsened he was transferred to progressively larger facilities until he was admitted to the 3rd Australian General Hospital at Abbeville, France.

On November 13 a telegram was sent to his father, advising that Ernest was dangerously ill. He died on December 11, 1918, from bronco-pneumonia.

Lance Corporal Ernest Edward Liddall is remembered at tree 224 on the Soldiers’ Memorial Avenue as well as on the honour boards at the Hobart Town Hall. 

[e-mail]

Thanks For Serving: Logos for the #ThanksForServing campaign, to launch across News Corp mastheads from October 14 2018. Preferred option is horizontal writing however vertical an option if column space is an issue. Design files, should artists need to adjust, available from Justin Lees (News360), Lesley Hunter Nolan (Qld), Rohan Sullivan (NSW), Jo Schulz (Vic), Paul Ashenden (SA) and Damian Bester (Tas).Picture: Supplied