confirmed
Born: 8 October 1895
Died: 19 July 1916
A 19 year old labourer prior to enlistment on 28 July 1915, he embarked for overseas with the 15th Reinforcements of the 1st Battalion from Sydney aboard HMAT Star of England on 8 March 1916. He was killed in action on 19 July 1916 at Fromelles, France, the same day and place as his brother, 3534 Pte Samuel Charles Wilson. After the war Pte Eric Wilson's grave could not be located and he was commemorated on the VC Corner Australian Cemetery Memorial, Fromelles. In 2008 a burial ground was located at Pheasant Wood, France containing the bodies of 250 British and Australian soldiers including Privates Eric and Samuel Wilson. All of the remains were reburied in the newly created Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery. At the time of the official dedication of the new cemetery on 19 July 2010, ninety-six of the Australians, including Privates Eric and Samuel Wilson, had been identified through a combination of anthropological, archaeological, historical and DNA information. Work is continuing on identifying the other remains relocated from the burial ground and buried in the new cemetery as unknown soldiers.
Source: AWM
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- Main sources
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- 4887 Private Eric Robert Wilson, 53rd Battalion (photograph)
- Find War Dead – Wilson, Eric Robert (webpage)
- Together in Battle (webpage)
- Roll of Honour - Eric Robert Wilson (website)
- First World War Embarkation Rolls - Eric Robert Wilson (website)
- Search First World War Red Cross Wounded and Missing (website)