Esmon Stephen Jarvis
Stephen LearmonthEsmon Stephen Jarvis was born on November 13 1881, at Cudgewa, Victoria. He was the oldest son of George William and Mary Jane Charlotte (nee Carter) Jarvis of Cudgewa. By 1903, the Jarvis family had grown to include ten children, three girls and seven boys. Around 1904, the family moved to the Gippsland region, where they continued to farm.
Sometime between July and September of 1915, Esmon married Minnie Margaret Lomas of Sale, Victoria. On July 22 1915, he enlisted in the A.I.F. at Melbourne. He was allocated the Service Number 1020 and placed in D Company of the 31st Battalion. After his initial training, he embarked on HMAT A26 Wandilla at Melbourne on November 9 1915.
They disembarked at Suez and marched into the A.I.F. training camp at Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt. The battalion continued its training in Egypt, although the troops would find some disparity between the sands of Egypt and the mud of the Western Front. In early March of 1916, David was transferred to the 5th Pioneer Battalion. The Pioneers were light engineering units whose roles ranged from constructing trenches and roads to clearing battlefield debris.
On June 19, the 5th Pioneers embarked on the HT Canada and sailed to Marseilles in southern France. Disembarking on June 25, they entrained for the 4-day journey to northern France. David spent the week before Christmas in hospital with bronchitis. He was back in hospital in February of 1917 with conjunctivitis. His condition was severe enough for him to be evacuated back to England, where he was admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital with trachoma. David was well enough in early May to be granted a two-week furlough. On May 17, he reported to the Training Depot at Perham Downs in Wiltshire.
David spent from May to December in various training battalions. In early December, he returned to France and rejoined his unit on December 11. In 1918, the 5th Pioneer Battalion was active during the German Spring Offensive between March and April. They assisted in stopping the German advance and survived severe gas attacks near Viller-Bretonneux. In September and October, they fought alongside American Army engineers from the US 105th Engineers at St Quentin Canal, suffering over 60 casualties in a single day of fierce close-quarters combat.
Two days before the signing of the Armistice, David was granted another two-week furlough in England. He rejoined the 5th Pioneers in France on December 1, but was back in England by the end of January 1919, awaiting repatriation to Australia. In February, he embarked on HT Tras-os-montes at Plymouth, arriving in Australia on April 7.
Esmon was discharged as medically unfit on July 15 1919. For his service during the war, he was awarded the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. He and Miinie moved to 412 Rae Street in Fitzroy North. Esmon found employment as a labourer. By 1921, they had moved to 8 Carron Street, Coburg, and would remain there until Esmon's death in 1955. The 1931 and 1934 Electoral Rolls show that between these dates, Esmon was working in Maldon, in central Victoria, as a labourer. Minnie had decided to remain at Carron Street with their only child, Walter.
Esmon passed away at Melbourne Hospital on August 19 1955. He was laid to rest in the Fawkner Crematorium and Memorial Park. Minnie died in February 1966 and was laid to rest alongside Esmon.
