No 6 Ernest Herbert Bleakley
Ernest was 21 years and 7 months when he joined up on the 28/7/1915. He never saw action as he died from meningitis and heart failure on the 2/9/1915 in the Enoggera Army Camp and is buried in the family plot in the Toowong Cemetery Brisbane. Written on the grave- Pte Ernest Herbert Bleakley 25 th Batt., son of William and Bertha Bleakley, died 2/9/1915 aged 21 years.
There were strong rumours circulating at the time, that German sympathiser doctors were responsible for injecting the young men with meningitis. Indeed there were a great many men dying of the disease. This was later confirmed.
Ernest, after going with the first rush of adrenaline of joining up for King and Country had no clear idea just what he was letting himself in for, but in his case he never knew the horror that the boys had to live through, as his brother Monty who died far from home knew and his cousin Claude who received grave injuries,going through terrible pain and incapable of living a normal life, but died in own country buried among his people, albeit his uncle and his family.
Other than his war record , no one seems to know anything about this young man, he obviously was quieter than his brother Monty and was not involved in any wild behaviour or someone would have remembered.
Roll of Honour Ernest Herbert Bleakley
| Rank | Private |
|---|---|
| Service | Australian Imperial Force |
| Conflict/Operation | First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Conflict Eligibility Date | First World War, 1914-1921 |
| Date of Death | 02 September 1915 |
| Place of Death | Australia |
| Place of Association | Woodford, Queensland, Australia |
| Cemetery or Memorial Details | Toowong Cemetery, Toowong, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Source | AWM145 Roll of Honour cards, 1914-1918 War, Army |
Location on the Roll of Honour
Ernest Herbert Bleakley’s name is located at panel 103 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial (as indicated by the poppy on the plan).
Roll of Honour name projection
Ernest Herbert Bleakley’s name will be projected onto the exterior of the Hall of Memory on:
- Tue 28 April 2020 at 9:21pm
- Sat 20 June 2020 at 7:07pm
- Sun 27 September 2020 at 2:37am
