Service: Army – 39 Australian Infantry Battalion
Service number: VX106080
Locality on Enlistment: Preston
Duration of Service: 22 Jul 1942 – 6 Mar 1946
Prisoner of War: No
Honours: Distinguished Conduct medal
Date and Place of Birth: 30 Mar 1911 Colac
Parents: Edward Walter ELLIS and Elizabeth PARISH
Spouse: Margaret Edith STRACHAN
School/s:
Occupation: Grocery Assistant
Date and Place of Death: 1973 Melbourne
Place of Burial: Fawkner Cemetery
NOTES:
Distinguished Conduct Medal Citation:
During the attack on the village two miles West of Gona Mission, A/Sgt. Ellis spent three successive days (15,16 and 17 Dec 1942) in no-mans-land in an endeavour to locate and silence an enemy MMG post holding up the advance of his section. He went out before daylight each morning, dug himself a hole near the post, and through-out the daylight hours threw grenades at the enemy post, and carried on a sniping war with the enemy near him killing between 12 and 20 men with his Owen gun during the course of the three days. Each night he returned to his section to plan the next day’s operations. At 0200 hrs on 18 Dec 1942 he went out alone, wormed his way to within 10 yards of the MMG and with a shower of grenades silenced the gun and killed the crew. He then returned to his section and led it in the final assault on the enemy positions later in the day.