Ralph Murray Elrington

Service number: 397

Rank: Corporal

Unit: 19th Battalion (Infantry)

Service: Australian Army

Date of death: 19 April 1917

Cause of death: Killed in action

Cemetery or memorial details: Noreuil Australian Cemetery, France

War Grave Register notes:

ELRINGTON, Corporal Ralph Murray, 397. 19th Bn. Australian Inf. Killed in action 19th April, 1917. Age 22. Son of Hamilton Deere Elrington and Lucy de Sales Elrington, of 7, The Scarborough, Manly, New South Wales. F. 14.

Source: AWM145 Roll of Honour cards, 1914-1918 War, Army

Mr Elrington was born at Manly. His parents lived at 9 James Street, Manly. He was a jackaroo.

He enlisted on 3 June 1915, aged 21, and embarked on 25 June 1915. He was wounded in the abdomen on 1 August 1916.

On 19 December 1916, he was drunk and resisted arrest by military police. He was killed in action on 19 April 1917.

His photo appeared in SMH 8 June 1917 with his brother Cecil, who also died in WWI. His grandfather saw action in the Crimean War, and a great-grandfather in the Peninsular War [1].

Photograph in link below is captioned R Errington, but is probably of Ralph Elrington. Rodger Errington, 7707, was 32 when he enlisted and has no obvious Manly connection, whereas Ralph Elrington was 22, and the photo appears to be of a younger man.

[1] Sydney Morning Herald 12 May 1917, p14.