PRIESTLY, Eric Ernest
| Service Number: | 2244 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 13th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Glebe, New South Wales, Australia, 1893 |
| Home Town: | Balmain, Leichhardt, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Wounds, No. 1 Reading War Hospital, Berkshire, England , 11 June 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
Widnes Cemetery, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 14 Jun 1915: | Involvement Private, 2244, 13th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Wandilla embarkation_ship_number: A62 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 2244, 13th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Wandilla, Sydney |
Help us honour Eric Ernest Priestly's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
Eric Ernest Priestly was born in 1883 in the district of Glebe, New South Wales.
He enlisted on 3rd May, 1915 as a 22 year old, single, Labourer from 11 Vincent Street, Balmain, NSW.
Private Eric Ernest Priestly, Service number 2244, embarked from Sydney, NSW on HMAT Wandilla (A62) on 14th June, 1915 with the 13th Infantry Battalion, 6th Reinforcements.
He joined M.E.F. (Mediterranean Expeditionary Force) at Gallipoli on 2nd August, 1915.
On 11th August, 1915 Private Priestly was taken to Lemos on S. S. Georgian with gunshot wounds. He embarked on S. S. Aquatania for England on 14th August, 1915.
Private Eric Ernest Priestly was admitted to 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, England on 23rd August, 1915 with gunshot wounds to neck. He rejoined 13th Battalion at Ismalia on 15th January, 1916.
He was wounded in action – shell shock in France on 11th August, 1916. (From the War Diary the 13th Battalion were at Pozieres on 11th August, 1916). He was admitted to 29th Casualty Clearing Station on 12th August, 1916 & transferred to Ambulance Train on 13th August, 1916. Private Priestly was admitted to 20th General Hospital at Camiers on 14th August, 1916 then discharged to Convalescent Depot at Camiers on 19th August, 1916. He rejoined his Unit in France on 11th September, 1916.
On 5th December, 1916 Private Priestly was sent to Casualty Clearing Station with Trench Feet & embarked for England on 6th December, 1916. He rejoined his Unit in Belgium on 4th July, 1917.
Private Eric Ernest Priestly was wounded in action (3rd occasion) in Belgium on 27th August, 1917. He had gunshot wounds to left arm & recovered at 3rd Convalescent Depot in France. Private Priestly rejoined his Unit in France on 30th September, 1917.
He was wounded in action (4th occasion) in France on 24th October, 1917 & was invalided to England where he was admitted to Royal Infantry Hospital, Chester (affiliated with Chester War Hospital) on 2nd November, 1917 having been gassed (shell).
Eric Ernest Priestly married Ellen Cameron in 1918. Their marriage was registered in Chester, Cheshire, England in the March quarter, 1918. (According to family research Ellen Mona Cameron had moved to London in 1913, at the age of 15, to work as a nurse. Ellen & Eric married on 9th February, 1918 at the Chester Registry Office.
He was posted to No. 4 Command Depot at Hurdcott, Wiltshire on 14th February, 1918. On 11th March, 1918 Private Priestly proceeded back overseas & rejoined his Unit in France on 11th April, 1918.
On 30th April, 1918 Private Priestly was wounded in action (5th occasion) in France. He was transferred to England on Hospital Ship Brighton with gunshot wounds to right thigh & fractured tibia & was admitted to Reading War Hospital, Berkshire, England on 3rd June, 1918 with gunshot wounds to right femur, left tibia –seriously ill & secondary Haemorrhage.
Private Eric Ernest Priestly died at 12.30 pm on 11th June, 1918 at No. 1 Reading War Hospital, Berkshire, England from gunshot wounds to right femur, left tibia, compound comminuted fractures.
He was buried in Widnes Cemetery, Widnes, Cheshire, England. Mrs E. Priestly (wife), of 16 Margaret Street, Widnes and many other relatives were present at the funeral.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/widnes.html
Click images to start slideshow.