Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

World War 1 began in 1914 as a result of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which seemed to spark a chain reaction of chaos. Through this conflict, the Central Powers; Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire fought against the Allied Powers; Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Romania, Japan and the United States. Due to a large investment into military technologies and armies prior to the war, as well as the brutality of trench warfare, World War 1 resulted in an unseen carnage and destruction. The war saw an end in 1918 where the Allied Powers were claimed victors alongside the death of over 16 million soldiers and civilians.   

Ernest Hicks was born in April 1894 in Kensington, South Australia. Before enlisting he worked as a storeman, most likely his first and only job at the age of 20. He lived with his father, Stephen Hicks, on what is still known as Howard Street, Kensington. He was a Methodist and was not married nor had children. It is possible he also lived with his mother. According to his death notice his siblings were "Elsie, Steve, Dot, Wally, Horace, Lucy, Eva, Bill".

Ernest Hicks enlisted on the 19th of August 1914, in Morphettville, South Australia. After basic training, himself and the rest of the 10th Battalion embarked on the HMAT 'Ascanius' departing from Outer Harbor (South Australia) to Egypt, on the 20th of October 1914. After stopping in Colombo, they disembarked in Port Said, Egypt on the 1st December 1914. Before leaving for Gallipoli on the steamship ‘Ionian’, he endured several months of training based at the Mena Camp. His battalion had embarked on the 12th of March, however, he joined later, leaving Alexandria on the 2nd of May. After contributing to the war efforts in Gallipoli, Ernest Hicks returned back to Egypt on ‘Seang Bee’, around six months later (29/12/1915). He stayed and continued to train in Egypt before proceeding to join the British Expeditionary Force on the 27th of March 1916. 7 days later he disembarked in Marseilles, France. 3 months later he fought in the Battle of Pozières as a corporal and lance sergeant. From there, he was promoted and was eventually to become Company Quartermaster Sergeant, but became sick on the 10th of September 1916 and stayed in the hospital to then rejoin next year in March. In July that year, Ernest became a permanent Cadre of the 3rd Training Battalion. He went on to the Quartermasters School Tidworth, England at the end of September. In April 1918 he returned to the 10th Battalion and received a shell wound to the right ankle on 4 July. He returned to Australia via H.T, “Devon” on the 23rd of November 1918. He was later officially discharged on the 22nd of January 1919.

After returning home he resided in the same house where his father mostly likely still lived. There was initially some confusion to his whereabouts and was “unofficially reported died whilst returning to Australia.” This, however, was debunked after the 4th Military District confirmed his return and location.

After the war he married Kathleen Mary Hicks and they had two children, Joyce and Colin. Ernest died in 1950.