Herman Edgar MENGERSEN
Year of Birth: 1893
Place of Birth: Palmer, South Australia
Date of Enlistment: 13 May 1915
Date and Place of Embarkation: 29 June 1915 at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Ship: HMAT Aeneas A60
Rank Lieutenant
Unit(s): 25th Australian Infantry Battalion
Regimental Number: 1609
Died: 22 September 1917
Herman Edgar Mengersen, known as “Billie”, was born 7 December 1893 at Palmer, South Australia to Henry Conrad Mengersen and Emilie Maria (nee Mueller). He was the fifth of eight children of the couple – Carl Herman (b. 1887), Walter Heinrich (b. 1888), Laura Adela (b. 1890), Wilhelm (b.and d. 1892), Herman Edgar (b. 1893), Norman Victor (b. 1893), Irwin Oscar (b. 1898) and Mercia Emilie (b. 1901).
Three of his brothers – Charles, Irwin and Norman – also enlisted and returned to Australia at the end of hostilities. Charles was awarded a Military Medal and Irwin a Distinguished Conduct Medal.
When Herman enlisted in Cairns Queensland on 13 May 1915, he was 21 years of age, single, his occupation was storekeeper. He was described as 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighed 168 pounds with a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark hair. His religion was Anglican. He named his father his next of kin.
He embarked on the HMAT Aeneas on 29 June 1915 from Brisbane.
He joined the British Expeditionary Force in Alexandria, Egypt then proceeded to Gallipoli on 16 September 1915. While there, he was promoted to Corporal, wounded and evacuated to Mudros, Greece then back to Alexandria where he was promoted to Sergeant and moved to Marseilles, France on 19 March 1916.
In August 1916 he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant and performed the duties of Adjutant for several months. In December 1916 he was appointed Lieutenant and seconded to England where he spent some time in hospital before returning to France in May 1917 and rejoining his unit.
He was wounded in action on 21 September 1917 and died of his wounds the next day. He was buried in the Menin Road South Military Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium.
Online Resources
NAA: B2455 (MENGERSEN H E) National Archives of Australia
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
National Library of Australia: Trove Digitised Newspapers
Australian Light Horse Studies Centre
Queensland Registrar of Births Deaths & Marriages
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