Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Ernest Ramage was born at Spennymoor, County Durham, England; his parents were Thomas & Jane (nee Walker) Ramage of Park Avenue, Spennymoor.

Ernest, aged 27 years, emigrated to Australia and became a police constable at Albury, New South Wales.

On 9 March 1915 he enlisted at Liverpool, NSW as Private 2979 Australian Army Medical Corps; his number was later changed to 2911.

Ramage was part of Section A, 5th Field Ambulance, which consisted of 3 officers and 98 men, the section left Sydney on board HMAT Ajana on 31 May 1915 bound for Gallipoli. He was killed on 23 August 1915 while collecting wounded at Hill 60.

His name is recorded on the headstone of his parents in Spennymoor (Rock Road) Cemetery. Part of the inscription on the headstone reads;
ERNEST RAMAGE
BELOVED SON OF THOMAS AND JANE RAMAGE
KILLED AT THE DARDANELLES AUG. 23rd 1915
WHILST RESCUING THE WOUNDED UNDER FIRE
AGED 30 YEARS

His name is commemorated on Spennymoor War memorial and St Paul's Church War memorial, Whitworth Terrace, Spennymoor.

The action in which Ramage was killed is described in a report for a Military Medal citation for a Sgt Long.

On the morning of August 22nd 1915 at Gallipoli after the attack on Hill 60 trenches by the 18th Field Ambulance Battalion and their retirement from some of the captured trenches, a number of wounded men were left in the open.
At dusk Captain Savage of the 5th Field Ambulance acted at once and called for volunteers and organised the parties under Sergeant Long, and with these bearers went into the open to search and bring in wounded under continuous rifle and shrapnel fire the whole time during the night. They continued in bright moonlight to go out and search for wounded. The search continued the following night and they brought in over 30 of our wounded men. On one occasion, Sergeant Long, Corporal Smith and Private Bryant went almost to the enemy trenches, the New Zealanders holding their rifle fire, and brought in a wounded man. Private Ramage and Burgess were out collecting wounded when Private Ramage was shot dead. All these men behaved with conspicuous devotion to duty on this occasion and on the night of 27th August 1915.