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Cenotaph record

Allan Ernest Branks

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Portrait, Weekly News - This image may be subject to copyright

Portrait, Weekly News - This image may be subject to copyright

Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    Allan Ernest AWMM
  • Surname
    Branks AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
  • Service number
    13185 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    23 October 1907 AWMM Invercargill, Southland AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
    • Unknown AWMM 460 Elles Road, Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand AWMM
    • Unknown AWMM 460 Elles Road, Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand AWMM
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    • Mrs Annie Agnes Branks (wife), 460 Elles Road, Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand AWMM
    • Mrs Annie Agnes Branks (wife), 460 Elles Road, Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand AWMM
  • Relationship status
    • Pre 27 August 1940 AWMM Married AWMM
    • Pre 12 January 1944 AWMM Married AWMM

Service

Wars and conflicts

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  • War
    World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
  • Campaign
    • Greece AWMM
    • North Africa AWMM
    • Italy AWMM
  • Armed force / branch
    Army AWMM
  • Service number
    13185 AWMM
  • Military service
  • Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers

Military decorations

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  • Medals and Awards
    • Military Medal (MM) AWMM
      5 November 1942 AWMM
      'On the night of 21-22 July 1942 Sergeant Branks was in charge of the stretcher-bearers of 26 NZ Battalion. In spite of the fact that he was a sick man and suffering from bomb blast he took charge of the evacuation of wounded from the Battalion area. He took a truck up and down the Battalion’s axis of advance in the face of mortar and machine-gun fire and was largely responsible for the evacuation of 64 wounded men. His coolness, courage and tireless energy were an inspiring example to the remainder of the stretcher-bearers, most of whom were taking part in their first action.'. (Source: The National Archives. Recommendation for Award for Branks, Alan Ernest. (Ref. WO 373/22/113). Military Medal. AWMM
    • 1939-1945 Star AWMM
    • Africa Star (8th Army clasp) AWMM
    • Italy Star AWMM
    • War Medal 1939-1945 with oak leaf AWMM
    • New Zealand War Service Medal AWMM
    • Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) AWMM

Training and Enlistment

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Embarkations

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Prisoner of war

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  • Capture details
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

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  • Medical notes
    Accidental Death, Cause of Death AWMM
    Accidentally killed on active service AWMM

Last known rank

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Biographical information

Biographical information

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  • Son of Albert Ernest Branks and Eliza Jane Branks, of Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand; husband of Annie Agnes Branks, of Invercargill.

    Accidentally killed whilst on duty

    Name listed as Ernest Allan Branks by births, BDM

    Sergeant A. E. Branks, MM, m.i.d.; born Invercargill, 23 Oct 1907; ambulance driver; accidentally killed 4 Apr 1944. (Source: Norton, F. D. 26 Battalion. p.165.)

    'The evacuation of wounded had been left in the hands of Sergeant Branks and his team of stretcher-bearers. They had done a splendid job. Although suffering from bomb-blast himself, the sergeant had continued with his work until the troops withdrew from the area. He ranged up and down the forward area in a truck, picking up the wounded as they were brought out of the basin by the stretcher-bearers. More often than not the area was under heavy fire, but none of the stretcher-bearers showed any reluctance to continue. In the minefield the driver of the Signals van was doing a similar task carrying out the wounded from that locality. Altogether over seventy wounded were evacuated during the night.' (Source: Norton, F. D. 26 Battalion. p. 165.) AWMM
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    4 April 1944 AWMM
    Age 34 AWMM
    Italy, Europe AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
    Accidental Death AWMM
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
    Caserta War Cemetery, Italy AWMM VI, B, 11. AWMM
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name
    Invercargill Cenotaph, Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand AWMM

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Sources

Sources

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  • External links
  • References
    • Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 3 (Embarkations from 1st July, 1940 to 31st March, 1941). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMM
      WW2 3: WW2 52 AWMM
    • Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1945). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 13 (Embarkations from 1st January, 1944 to 31st March, 1944). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMM
      WW2 13: WW2 16 AWMM
    • Norton, F. (1952). 26 Battalion. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. AWMM
      p.165. AWMM
    • Norton, F. (1952). 26 Battalion. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. AWMM

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