FIELD, Ernest George
| Service Number: | 11062 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 November 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Gunner |
| Last Unit: | 13th Field Artillery Brigade |
| Born: | Upper Castlereagh, New South Wales, Australia, 18 October 1891 |
| Home Town: | Penrith, Penrith Municipality, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Castlereagh, City of Penrith, New South Wales, Australia, 26 April 1980, aged 88 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Castlereagh Methodist Cemetery, New Soth Wales Plot - 50B |
| Memorials: | Adelaide Grand Masonic Lodge WW1 Honour Board (1), Adelaide South Australian Railways WW1 & WW2 Honour Boards, Upper Castlereagh Public School War Memorial, Victor Harbor War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 1 Nov 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Gunner, 11062, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade | |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Jan 1916: | Involvement Gunner, 11062, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: RMS Osterley embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 23 Jun 1919: | Involvement AIF WW1, Gunner, 11062, 13th Field Artillery Brigade |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Adelaide Botanic High School
FIELD, Ernest George
Ernest George Field was born on 18 October 1891 in Penrith, New South Wales, Australia. He lived with his mother, Caroline Field, father, Joshua Field, and sister, Elsie Isabel Field, in Upper Castlereagh. At the time of his enlistment, he was unmarried and had no known partner. He was a farmer by trade and identified as a Methodist. Field assigned service number 11062. According to his enlistment medical records, he stood 5’5” tall, had a chest measurement of 35 ½ inches, and weighed 126 pounds. He had grey eyes, brown hair, and a fair complexion, with no distinctive marks. He enlisted for military service on 30 October 1915 at the age of 24 and was formally signed in as a private on 1 November.
Field embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on January 15, 1916, aboard the RMS Osterley. He reached Cairo in February, where he joined the 1st Divisional Ammunition Column and was assigned to the 6th Battery as a Gunner. Shortly after, he embarked for Alexandria, boarded the Tunisian, and disembarked in Marseilles to continue his military service. In 1917, his health began to deteriorate due to the war, as he was reported to have multiple fevers, but no reason was given for why. He was hospitalised in March but managed to return to his unit by late April. Unfortunately, he fell ill again and was diagnosed with influenza.
After a series of hospital visits from late March to June, Field returned to his unit, likely having fought on the Western Front in France. He was wounded in action on September 14th, 1917, suffering a gunshot wound to his right arm, back and thigh, and then Field was transferred to Kitchener Military Hospital in Brighton, England, for further treatment. It is unknown when he got transferred to his last unit, the Field Artillery Brigade, Reinforcement 14.
Little is known about his life after he returned safely from the war to Australia on June 23, 1919. However, he lived a long life and passed away on April 26, 1980, at the age of 88 in Castlereagh, City of Penrith, New South Wales. He was buried next to his younger sister, who sadly passed away in infancy at just 11 months.