Personal Details | |
Date of Birth | April 9, 1897 |
Place of Birth | Skone |
Country | Sweden |
Marital Status | Single |
Next of Kin | Alfreda Anderson, mother. Durban, Manitoba |
Trade / Calling | Farmer |
Religion | Lutheran |
Service Details | |
Regimental Number | 2380827 |
Service Record | Link to Service Record |
Battalion | 52nd Battalion |
Force | Canadian Expeditionary Force |
Branch | Canadian Infantry |
Enlisted / Conscripted | Conscripted |
Address at Enlistment | Durban, Manitoba |
Date of Enlistment | March 5, 1918 |
Age at Enlistment | 20 |
Theatre of Service | Europe |
Prisoner of War | No |
Survived War | Yes |
Death Details | |
Date of Death | February 7, 1973 |
Age at Death | 76 |
Buried At | Hillside Cemetery, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba |
Plot | 38055 |
Ernest Ragner Anderson was born on 09 April 1897 in Skone, Sweden. His parents were Nels Anderson and Alfreda Moller. He had eight siblings: Berger, Einar, Allan, Leonard, Harold, Gertrude, Margaret and Elsie.
The family immigrated to Canada in April of 1912 and settled in Swan River, Manitoba.
Just before his 21st birthday, on 05 March 1918, Ernest was drafted in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was with the First Depot Battalion, Manitoba Regiment (96th Regimental Draft). During his training period he was hospitalized twice – once for a bout of German measles and then tonsillitis which resulted in a tonsillectomy. Ernest embarked from Canada on 03 July 1918 and arrived in London, England on 22 July 1918. He was put into the 18th Reserve battalion and spent a month in Frensham Pond Segregation Camp in Surrey. Ernest was drafted to the 52nd battalion on 18 November 1918. He joined his unit in Overyssche, France on 24 December 1918. After Christmas the 52nd Battalion marched to Blandain, Belgium and was there undergoing training ‘as per syllabus’ until returning to England on 10 February 1919. He sailed back to Canada with the 52nd Battalion on 17 March 1919. His discharge due to demobilization came on 29 March 1919 in Port Arthur, Ontario.
When Ernest returned from serving in WW1 he rejoined his family that had moved to Kenora, Ontario. He worked as a meat cutter for Safeway. He married widow, Edna Elenor Scherk (nee Lindstrom) in Kenora on 12 March 1925. Her first husband, Christopher Scherk, had been tragically killed when struck by a train in 1922. She had a daughter, Mae, from this first marriage. In 1938 Ernest and Edna relocated to Portage la Prairie, Manitoba due to a transfer to the Safeway store there. Mae married William Andrich who served as a pilot in the RCAF during WW2.
Ernest died on 07 February 1973 in Portage la Prairie and is buried there in Hillside Cemetery. Edna died in 1986 and is interred beside Ernest.