Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Birth Born on the 14th of August 1896 at High Street Gladstone (Grandmother's home)
Parents Caroline Elizabeth
George Pratt (Farmer)

Baptised Baptised at Saint Alban's Church, Gladstone in 1896

School From 1902 to 1909 He attended Gladstone public School
Work • Worked in Gladstone post office as a telegram boy
Went to work on his Father’s farm as he was ill.

Service at War In 1917 he enlisted at Burra in the 9th Light Horse Regiment for the Australian Imperial Forces. His Basic training was at a camp where the Daws Road Repatriation General Hospital now is.
Service
9 May 1917
Involvement private, SN 3306 9th Light Horse Regiment
Embarked private, SN 3306 9th Light horse Regiment, HMAT Port Sydney, Sydney
Departed on the troop ship Port Sydney to go to the Suez canal.
11 November 19
Involvement private SN 3306
9th Light Horse Regiment.
Following WW1, the 9th Light Horse Regiment formed in Adelaide and trained in Melbourne between October 1914 and February 1915. Roughly three-quarters of the regiment came from South Australia and the other quarter from Victoria. As part of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade.
Light Horse were considered unsuitable for the initial operations at Gallipoli. The 3rd Light Horse Brigade landed in late May 1915 and was attached to the New Zealand and Australian Division. The 9th was fortunate to be the reserve regiment although several soldiers were killed in their reserve position. The Regiment was committed to the last phase of the August offensive battles. The 9th Light Horse subsequently suffered 50 per cent casualties, including its new Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Carew Reynell, attacking Hill 60 on 27 August. Exhausted and under-strength, the 9th then played a defensive role until it finally left the peninsula on 20 December 1915.
Casualties
190 killed, 481 wounded
Commanding Officers
Miell, Albert (KIA)
Reynell, Carew (KIA)
Grant, William
Arnott, John McLean
Scott, William Henry
Daly, Thomas Joseph

Life of the soldier When in battle and resting the soldiers lay with the horse sheltering their body also, they used the horses for protection when engaged in fighting. They looked after their horses very carefully as they depended on them. They gave their horses drinks form their hats and the horses to be shot before the soldiers returned. Ernest had to shoot his own horse. One horse however; was brought back to Australia and is in the Albany museum we have been told.

Medical records TBA
Recreation They went into Cairo to the card shops and probably drinking, they had sporting games/ competitions between battalions and Ernest sent home loss of post cards, he wrote on these with an indelible pencil and they took months to arrive


After war Worked on his Dad's farm until he bought a farm for himself at Porters Lagoon. He joined the RSL (return soldiers league) in Burra and belonged to that for the rest of his life. He was one of the first people in the district to own a motor car. In 1928 He married Jessie Rosetta Sutherland and eventually they had 5 children named Phyllis, Joan, Dorothy, Trevor and Colleen. In 1933 he bought a butcher shop at Richmond following a severe drought on the farm. He sold the car to help the business and bought a motor bike and side car instead which a family of four (by this stage) travelled around in. In 1935 he purchased a mixed business in Wilpena Tce, Kilkenny. In the early 1950's, Ernest became aware of the growth of supermarkets in the eastern states, sold the family business and bought a nearby house and block of land. For a short time he worked for Chrysler's and upon retirement he involved himself with gardening and carpentry. All his adult life, he had been a member of the Free Mason's Society and he continued with this. In October 1962, he passed away as a result of heart disease, possibly due to Quinine prescribed for the treatment of malaria during his war service.


Death October 1962
cemetery Centennial Park, South Australia
Memorials Burra HB1 district WW1
Ranking Private
Service Number 3306

It is fair to say that Ernest George Pratt had a rather extraordinary life. Not only was he a successful father, he was also in the Australian Imperial Forces. He travelled to Egypt with the 9th Light Horse regiment and remarkably returned from war however; his life didn't have all of the glitz and glamour. He was just like everyone else.
Pratt was born on the 14th of August 1896 at High Street Gladstone which was his Grandmother's home. Pratt was the son of Caroline Elizabeth and George Pratt (Farmer). Pratt was baptised at Saint Albans Church in Gladstone 1896. From 1902 – 1909 Pratt attended Gladstone Public School. At a young age, Pratt worked as a telegram boy for the Gladstone post office although, Prat had to go and work on his Father’s farm as his father became ill.
When 1917 came around, Pratt decided to enlist in the Australian Imperial Forces. He enlisted at Burra in the 9th Light Horse regiment. His basic training was at a camp where the Daws Road Repatriation General Hospital now is. On the 9th of May 1917 Pratt became a private and embarked to the Suez Canal from HMAT Port Sydney.
The medical records that Pratt had were difficult to have although, I have managed to find out that Pratt had malaria and to treat this he had quinine. Pratt’s death however, was a result of a heart attack related back to a heart condition.
The life of Pratt whilst he was in Egypt was mainly based on keeping his horse healthy and safe. When Pratt was resting, he laid with his horse using the horse’s body to shelter his own. The horses were also used for sheltering the soldier’s bodies. The horses were looked after with the upmost care. The horses were fed with the soldier’s hat as a trough. However, when the soldiers had to come home, they had to do the painful task of shooting their horse. Some were lucky and were able to give their horses to the Arabs but majority of the horses were murdered. One horse returned back to Australia and when this horse passed away, it was stuffed and is now in the Albany Museum.
Recreational activities that Pratt indulged in were going to card shops, sporting games between battalions and he sent hundreds of letters home. He wrote on these letters using an indelible pencil.
When Pratt returned from war he worked on his Dad’s farm until he bought a farm for himself at Porter’s Lagoon. He joined the RSL (Returned Soldiers League) in Burra and belonged to that for the rest of his life. Pratt was lucky enough to be one of the first people in the district to own a motor car. In 1928 he married Jessie Rosetta Sutherland and eventually they had 5 children named Phyllis, Joan, Dorothy, Trevor and Colleen. In 1933 Pratt bought a butcher shop at Richmond following a severe drought on the farm. Pratt ended up selling the car to help the business and instead he bought a motor bike and side car which a family of four (by this stage) travelled around in. In 1935 Pratt purchased a mixed business in Wilpena Tce, Kilkenny. In the 1950’s, Pratt became aware of the growth of supermarkets in the Eastern states therefore, he sold the business and bought a small house and a block of land around the corner from the shop. For a short time, he worked at Chryslers and upon retirement he involved himself with gardening and carpentry. All of Pratt’s adult life, he had been a member of the free mason’s society and continued with this.
Pratt unfortunately passed away in October 1962 due to a heart attack possible due to quinine prescribed for the treatment of malaria during his war service. The cemetery that Pratt has been placed in is Centennial Park Cemetery in South Australia. Pratt is in the Burra HB1 District WW1. His Final Ranking was Private.
Pratt’s memory now lives on with his three remaining children Phyllis, Joan and Colleen and their children and grandchildren.