49740 Private Ernest John Quinton
3rd Company, 3rd Battalion
New Zealand Auckland Regiment
30th December 1917
Born on 09/06/1878 in Nelson New Zealand. His parents were Henry Allan Quinton(29/12/1841-16/11/1914) and
Elizabeth Biggs(19/12/1848-18/10/1903). They were married on 23/06/1868.
Ernest had 5 brothers, William(07/01/1871-09/01/1871), Charles William(04/03/1872-07/05/1872), Percy William(1875-1938), Arthur Charles( 1880-30/06/1966) and Allan Callum(1885-12/01/1894).
He also had 3 sisters, Ellen Harriett(08/09/1868-20/11/1938), Ada Annie(04/04/1873-06/06/1947) and
Laura Mabel(1883-10/10/1970).
In the 1914 New Zealand Electoral Roll Ernest was recorded as living in Te Puke, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand and working as a farmer.
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Te Puke Times 28 November 1916 page 2
The Military Ballot
Local Men Called Up
The ballot in the Bay of Plenty district to make up the quota for the 23rd and 24th Reinforcements resulted in the following local men being drawn:
Te Puke: Wm. John Meehan, Ernest John Quinton, Richard Henry Williams, Thomas Davy Wills, Thomas Ernest Witherow.
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New Zealand Herald Volume LIV issue 16436 12 January 1917 page 7
Exemption Appeals
Hearing at Tauranga
Applications Dismissed
The Auckland Military Service Board met in Tauranga to-day.
Ernest John Quinto, farmer of Te Puke, appealed for six months exemption on the grounds of undue hardship. He had a farm of
1001/2 acres, 91/2 acres held under a compulsory purchasing clause. He had no assistance, The appeal was dismissed, the board allowing appellant two months to arrange his affairs.
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With his exemption appeal dismissed, Ernest enlisted in Hamilton on 11/01/1917, having previously had a medical in Hamilton on 07/12/1916, details of which follow;
Apparent Age – 28 years
Height 5ft 6 ½ inches
Weight 136lbs
Chest Measurement – Minimum – 34 inches Maximum – 36 inches
Complexion – Fair, Colour of Eyes – Blue, Colour of Hair – Fair
Religious Profession – Church of England
Remarks – Slight flat foot – left
Ernest was posted to A Company 27th Reinforcements on 12/03/1917.
When his training was completed, Ernest embarked on Troopship 87, Tahiti in Wellington on 12/06/1917 bound for England.
Whilst aboard the ship , he caught measles and was admitted to the ships hospital on 26/07/1917 until 14/08/1917.
It was only 2 days later that they reached England, dis-embarking in Devonport, before being marched into Sling Camp, Salisbury Plain the same day.
Ernest stayed at Sling until 27/09/1917, when he left for France, marching into Etaples Camp, France 21 days later.
He stayed at Etaples for just over a week before being marched out to Division on 07/10/1917,from which he joined his battalion, 3rd Battalion, Auckland Regiment and posted to 3rd Company 2 days later.
Ernest was killed in action on 30/12/1917.
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Ernest was awarded the 1914-1918 British War and Allied Victory medals.
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The Graves Registration Report Form for Polygon Wood Cemetery originally recorded date of death as 30/10/1918 this was altered in pen and re-recorded as 28/12/1917 with the reason of research given as the reason for the alteration. His Army Service ( Army Form B. 2090a) however, records his death occurring on 30/12/1917 and this was the date used in all the other documents in his records.