Ernest Tobias was a stalwart for the Claremont and represented the club from the time he was a teenager to the date of his enlistment in June 1915. His good form was recognised in 1914 with his selection for the ‘Australian’ team in their match against ‘Scotland’.
On 27 June 1916 in Sailly, France, 2nd Lieutenant Tobias received gun shot wounds to the face, left arm and right hand. He was transfered to hospital in Boulogne where his left eye was removed and fragments extracted from his face. He was declared permanently unfit. In October he wrote to Australian Command requesting his return to Perth be made as as soon as possible so he could return to his Engineering course at the University of WA. Tobias disembarked in Fremantle in February 1917 and resume his studies.
Tragically, he did not fully recover from his wounds and passed away on 7 January 1920 at the age of 27.