Ernest Michael Penny

26/9/17 Belguim. ERNEST MICHAEL PENNY 1895 4406
Ernest Penny was born in Coonabarabran in 1895 to William Frederick Penny & Mary Jane Hunt who lived at “Sunshine”, Bugaldie. Ernest was the eldest of 8 children – Ernest, Alma, Hazel, Bertha, Ileen, Grace, Robert, Maggie & William. As a young man he worked as a grazier in Bugaldie & he enlisted on the 25th May 1916 aged 21 at the Depot Camp in Narrabri.
He served as a Private in the 29th Battalion of the AIF & left for England on the HMT “Afric” which arrived in Plymouth on the 9th of January. He was then posted to France on the 14th of March and trained with the 8th Infantry Brigade, 29th Infantry battalion , 11th Reinforcements and on March 17th 1917 marched to Etaples and by April was fighting in the field. He became ill & spent 5 weeks in hospital & then rejoined the battalion at the front in Belgium on the 24th of August. The Battalion was engaged in the Battle of Polygon Wood at Ypres, Belgium where 5770 Australians lost their lives including Ernest who died on the field on the 26th of September 1917 aged 22 years. He was buried in the vicinity of Polygon Wood & although the exact whereabouts was never known he is remembered at the Menin Gate Memorial , Ypres, Belgium, and West Flanders in Belgium. He had an uncle – Robert Penny who also fought with the 45th battalion & he returned home in May 1917. His parents are both buried in Baradine. Ernest was awarded the 1914/15 Star, Victory & British War Medals. (notes from Elizabeth Cutts)