PACKER, Ernest
| Service Number: | 718 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 March 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 25th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Rainham, Kent, England, January 1883 |
| Home Town: | Brisbane, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 24 September 1955, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane, Qld Anzac Portion 8, Cemetery, Brisbane. |
| Memorials: | Redbank War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 1 Mar 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 718, 25th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Jun 1915: | Involvement Private, 718, 25th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: '' | |
| 29 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 718, 25th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Aeneas, Brisbane | |
| 30 Aug 1916: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 718, 25th Infantry Battalion, 1st MD, wounding |
Help us honour Ernest Packer's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
From Australian Remembrance Army
Private Ernest Packer (Service No. 718), an Australian World War One veteran who was wounded in action at Gallipoli, is among almost 800 previously unmarked WWI veterans’ graves in Lutwyche Cemetery we have now honoured with a plaque recognising their service for Australia.
On 23 September 2023, his plaque was unveiled in Lutwyche Cemetery, along with a further 300 plaques on the previously unmarked graves of Australian World War One veterans:
See Australian Remembrance Army Facebook page
Ernest Packer was born in 1883 in Rainham, Kent, England, to Thomas Packer and Emma Packer (née Tyler). In 1907, at the age of 24, he departed England by ship to begin a new life in Australia.
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at Brisbane, Queensland, on 1 March 1915, aged 32, stating his occupation as labourer and his marital status as single, with no next of kin recorded. He was posted to the 25th Battalion and embarked for overseas service aboard HMAT A60 Aeneas from Brisbane on 29 June 1915. After arriving in Egypt, he trained with his battalion before proceeding to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force at Gallipoli on 4 September 1915.
On 19 September 1915, Ernest was admitted to hospital suffering from a gunshot wound to the head, and was later transferred to Alexandria and then to England for further treatment. He was admitted to the 5th Southern General Hospital, Portsmouth, in February 1916, and after a period of convalescence, embarked on the Dover Castle from England on 8 April 1916.
On 18 April 1916, he was transferred from Southampton to Alexandria, and then to Heliopolis, where he was again admitted to hospital suffering from a wound to the arm and nerve damage.
After medical review, he was declared unfit for further active service and returned to Australia for discharge due to his wounds. In late August 1916, Ernest was discharged as medically unfit for further service due to the effects of his wounds.
Following his return to Australia, Ernest settled in Brisbane, where he worked as a labourer. In 1926, he married Jessie Maria Weekes, and the couple made their home in Brisbane and nearby districts. They had no children. Jessie died on 9 February 1951.
Private Ernest Packer died on 24 September 1955, aged 72, and was buried three days later in Anzac Portion 8, Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane.
After decades without recognition at his place of burial, his grave now bears a plaque commemorating his service to Australia — ensuring his name endures among those remembered for their duty and sacrifice.
His identity and dignity have now been restored.
We have remembered him.
Lest We Forget.
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