Colonel Eric Ewen Paterson, MC ED
42nd Battalion, AIF
44th Battalion, AIF,
47th Battalion, Militia
by Robert Simpson
Eric Ewen Paterson was born in Theebine on 22nd September 1894, a son to Marcus Wyndham Paterson and Harriet Effie Bull, who had married in 1891 at Sunnyholme in Queensland. He was one of seven children to them. . His Father had migrated to Queensland before 1891 and his Mother was from Victoria. His Father, who was a Station Master with the Traffic Branch in the Southern Division, died in 1905 and his Mother remarried to Robert Gwynne in 1908, having another three children. But out of the 10 children only five lived to adulthood. Eric became the provider for the family before his Mother remarried. In 1899 he started school at Tiaro State School. He joined Queensland Railway on 1st April 1904 at 10 years old at Kilkivan but did not last long; he resigned on 25th September 1904 due to unsatisfactory conduct. In 1905 he was at Yengarie State School. He rejoined QR as a Lad Porter at Southbrook on 26th February 1908 at the age of 13 and worked in QR until his retirement. He did 4 years in the militia in Maryborough after he was transferred there with the railway. On 10th August 1915 he was Night Officer at Maryborough, then Yengarie.
His Grandfather was Colonel Wyndham Francis Paterson from Ireland, who was an appointed Magistrate in County Clare. Before that in 1850 he was shown to be in the Royal Militia and Yeomanry Cavalry and Army Lists had him as being a Lieutenant in the 94th or Clare Regiment of Militia at Clare Castel, Ennis. One of his Great-Grandfather’s was John Edward Newell Bull, born 11th October 1806 in Ireland and died in 1901, who was in the 78th Highland Regiment in April 1825 and came to New South Wales with his regiment to look after convicts. He became the Superintendant of Roads in New South Wales.
On 8th November 1915 Eric enlisted as Private 898, C Company 42nd Battalion in Brisbane. His religion was Church of England; he was single and aged 21 years and 2 months. He was listed as an operator (railway) and was living in Brisbane. His Mother, Harriet Effie (Paterson) Gwynne was nominated as next of kin. He was 5 foot 7 inches tall, 140 pounds, 33.5 to 37 inch chest measurement, dark complexion, brown eyes and hair and had a hairy patch on his right shoulder. He was a Private in D Company 8 D/Btn. from 8/11/15 to 15/1/16, in 34th Battalion from 15/1/16 to 22/1/16, 36th Battalion D Company and promoted to Corporal from 21/1/16 to 8/2/16, 42nd Battalion D Company from 8/2/16 to 2/6/16 and posted to 42nd Battalion C Company from 2/1/16. He was the Commanding Officer’s Batman at some stage.
On the 5th June 1916 he embarked on HMAT Borda A30 with the 42nd Battalion. They disembarked at Southampton on 23rd July 1917. He proceeded from Southampton to France on 25th November 1916. There is a photo of Corporal Eric Paterson and others of Signals Section C Company A.I.F. taken while having a break behind the lines on 29th April 1917. Still a Corporal, he was selected to attend No. 4 Officers Cadet Battalion at Oxford commencing 5th July 1917, as he was recommended a commission after the Battle of Messines, where detonation of mines before the attack destroyed the German front lines and all objectives were captured and held. The battle is cited as a model for a well planned limited objective attack. A picture shows Cadet E. E. Paterson 42nd A.I.F. in the Old Quadrangle Hartford College Oxford with some fellow cadets in August 1917. He was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant and posted to General Infantry Reinforcements on 1st November 1917 and proceeded overseas from Southampton to France on 19th November 1917. As a 2nd Lieutenant he was marched in from England at Havre on 21st November and marched out to 2nd ANZAC Corps on the 23rd and taken on strength in the field. On 21st May 1918 he was to be a Lieutenant in the field. In July 1918 the Battalion was involved in the battle of Hamel and captured all its objectives with very few losses, showing what a well planned and supported attack could achieve. The Battalion was then involved in the Allies offensive from August 1918. He was recommended to receive a Military Cross in October 1918 for the following action: On 29th September 1918 during operations south of Bony, at the Hindenberg Line, Lieutenant Paterson was sent forward to establish Forward Battalion Headquarters. On reaching the Hindenberg Line he was suddenly confronted by a strong enemy machine gun post. He immediately rushed towards it with his runners and engaged the post with bombs. Finding that the frontal attack had no effect on the enemy, Lieutenant Paterson rushed forward alone to a flank and endeavoured to take the enemy in the rear, but was wounded by enemy bombs before he attained his object. Despite his serious wound he displayed great fortitude and initiative, and managed to extricate his party together with their signal equipment. It was awarded and promulgated in the London Gazette on 8th March 1919 (as Lt. Eric Ewen Paterson, 44th Bn., frmly. 42nd Bn., Aust. Infy.) and in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 17th June 1919. He appeared in the Brisbane Courier on 22nd November 1918 in the wounded list on the Roll of Honour, Casualty List No. 443. He carried the family bible for the duration of the war in his pocket. It was given to his Father, Marcus in 1873, who passed it onto Eric as the eldest living son. It was then passed on in the family after his death. He also received a letter from General W. Birdwood on 7th April 1919 for his Military Cross, which includes the above and also has “Despite your serious wounds, however, you continued at your post, and extricated your party from the position with their signal equipment. Your work was a fine example of courage, initiative and devotion to duty, and I thank you very much for it”. He was wounded in the above action with multiple guns shot wounds in the legs which were classified as mild and he was admitted to a Hospital in France on the 30th and admitted to the 3rd London General hospital on 3rd October after being sent on HS Canisbrooke Castles from France to England. On 29th October he was transferred to the 44th Battalion in England. He returned to Australia on Demosthenes as a Lieutenant on 2nd March 1919 and on 16th April 1919 his Appointment was terminated.
A postcard sent by Corporal Paterson on 29th April 1917 which reads on the back “And we are not downhearted yet. Myself and Sig Section taken while we were having a weeks spell behind the line.” Sig Section C Company AIF.
The Brisbane Courier of Thursday 17th April 1919 had the following announcement; “The engagement of Miss Molly Grieve (eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. G B Grieve, Murgon) to Lieutenant Eric E. Paterson, M.C. (late of 42nd Battalion, and eldest son of the late Mr. M. H. Paterson and Mrs. R. Gwynne, Murgon). In 1919 he married Martha Molly Crawford Grieve and lived at Yengarie as a Railway Night Officer. He was transferred to Woolooga on 1st July 1919 and was still there in 1920 when he received the letter of his Military Cross award. He was placed on the Reserve of Officers list in 1920 and was associated with the 9th Light Horse Regiment, the 47th and 42nd Battalions and rose in rank to Major. By 1922 they had moved to Murgon and were living in Braeburn Boarding House and he was a Night Officer. They were still there in 1925. By 1930 the Electoral Roll shows them living in Kolijo in the Herbert region, in the Station house and he was a Station Master. They were still there in 1934. In 1935 he must have been transferred to the Howard region as he enlisted in the Australian Army on 12th April 1935 in Maryborough with the service number Q24601. In 1936 the Electoral Roll shows him as being at Mungar Junction as a Station Master. They were still there in 1937.
Eric as Station Master.
He continued service in Australia in the Militia and in 1936 he was given command of the 47th Battalion (Wide Bay Regiment) whose Headquarters was at Maryborough. He held the rank of Major and was then promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel on 10th November 1938. His address was given as HQ, 47th Battalion A.M.F., Lennox St. Maryborough Queensland in 1939. He remained their Commanding Officer for 6 years including 3 years in World War 2. They regularly held training camps before being mobilised in 1941 and they moved to Townsville in early 1942. He also did various courses throughout those years.
On Anzac Day in 1939, “in the morning a parade was held to the memorial, the colours of the 47th Battalion A.M.S., being carried. Wreaths were placed on the memorial and the Last Post was sounded. Colonel Paterson took the salute at the Town Hall steps “. This was noted in the Courier-Mail the next day. Lieutenant-Colonel E. E. Paterson was awarded the Efficiency Decoration for Long Service in 1940. He relinquished command of the 47th Battalion on 23rd August 1942 and on 5th October 1942 he was discharged from the 47th Battalion to the Reserve of Officers with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. During the 6 years he was in command, the regiment became known as one of Australia’s finest. Its success in war was attributed to the solid and efficient training it had received under him. After relinquishing command he spent the remainder of the war as Claims and Quartering Officer at Maryborough. His step-brother Robert Leonard Gwynne was a Sergeant in WW2. The dedication of the ANZAC Memorial Crypt was organised by him in 1941.
Eric, Brian and Mark Paterson at the dedication of Colours in ANZAC Memorial Crypt, organised by Eric and conducted by Brian.
In 1943, he was listed as working at Mungar Junction and they were living in Maryborough. In the Maryborough Chronicle in 1944 was an article saying “Tinana residents turned out in force last night to give a rousing welcome to members of the fighting forces on leave. The Shire Hall was packed long before the event started and an extra loud cheer was raised for Lt.-Colonel E. Paterson, M.C. former commander of the 47th Battalion. In 1946 he was a candidate running for either the House of Representatives or the Senate and had resigned from the railway on 1st September, but he obviously did not win as he was reinstated to his normal position on 10th October. By 1949 he had been transferred to Sandgate (December 1947) as Station Master and they were living at 4 Hancock St. in Brisbane. He was then sent to Cloncurry and lived at Ramsay St., Cloncurry and he still was Station Master. On June 1953 he was transferred to Mareeba. In September 1953 they went to Wallangarra, Stanthorpe.
On Wednesday 27th May 1953 and article was printed in the Townsville Daily Bulletin from Cloncurry dated the day before about Cloncurry’s railway stationmaster Mr. E. E. Paterson and his wife being transferred to Mareeba. They had spent two and a half years in Cloncurry and according to the article “had proved worthy citizens and their popularity was made manifest by the farewells tendered them by various organisations to which they were prominently connected”.
The Reverend at the Methodist Church spoke of these good people as staunch supporters of the church, and of Mrs Paterson who was a very active worker on the Ladies’ Committee, and wished then God’s blessing. They were presented with a handsome dressing table clock.
They also attended a campfire by the Scouts and Cubs of Cloncurry’s Scout Movement to farewell there former Group Scoutmaster. Eric had reformed the group in Cloncurry. It was said his presence and valuable assistance would be very much missed and they spoke of his fine work in connection with the movement. They were presented with silver salad servers.
The R.S.L.L.A.I.L.A. met to say “cheerio to their Digger cobber Eric Paterson”. The President made reference to the departing Vice-President as an extremely valuable and most energetic member and acknowledged his super ability in the manner in which he most capably handled many problems to the branch, and was a tower of strength to the President on more than just one occasion. He was presented with a silver beer mug. Eric replied saying that any work he had done and efforts contributed had been done for the good of the league. They then reminisced and exchanged tales of war incidents for the rest of the evening.
A number of railwaymen assembled in Stationmaster’s Eric Paterson’s office on Wednesday afternoon to farewell him. They spoke of his conscientiousness and ability of him and of the manner in which he endeavoured at all times to assist his fellow workers and give advice when necessary. He was presented with a silver coffee percolator on a sliver tray.
The article also noted his war service, saying how he rose in the ranks from Private to Lieutenant-Colonel in just over 3 years. He was warded the Military Cross in the Hindenberg Line Battle on September 29th 1918 and was severely wounded on the same day. After five months in hospital in England he returned to Australia. He served with the 42nd and 47th Battalions and commanded the later until returned to base duty at the end of 1942 as medically unfit. He was awarded the Efficiency Decoration and Coronation Medal (Military Division) and was placed on the retired officers list. He was promoted to Honorary Colonel with permission to wear the prescribed uniform and badges of that rank. This was a fitting tribute to a man who had given to his country 38 years of service.
He retired on 28th February 1955 and on the 1959 electoral roll they were living in Thomas St., Howard. Eric was appointed Honorary Colonel of the Battalion in November 1955. He was the RSL president at some stage. He passed away on Friday 27th October 1961 at his home in Howard at the age of 67. Advertisements were placed in the Chronicle and other newspapers and on 4MB. A Ceremonial Funeral was held in Maryborough on the Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. from Wesley Methodist Church to the Town Hall where his body was conveyed through a guard of honour back to the Funeral Chapel before leaving for Brisbane to the Mt. Thompson Crematorium where he was cremated at 11.15 a.m. on Monday the 30th October. His ashes are interred in War Service Memorial, position 120, Section 9, Wall 12 there. His religion was listed as Methodist. There was a memorial service at the Howard Methodist Church on 28th October 1962 and a memorial to him was unveiled there. They had no children.
His wife, Molly, presented a Grandfather clock to the Maryborough RSL in memory of fallen comrades in the 47th Battalion on 6th October 1973.
He was awarded the Military Cross, Efficiency Decoration, British War Medal and Victory Medal, War Medal 1939-45, Australian Service Medal 1939-45 and the Coronation Medal 1937.
ANZAC Biographies
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whose medals or other memorabilia form part of the collection belonging to the
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