Private Ernest John Thacker 

41st Australian Infantry Battalion 

 

 

Service Number:                      695 

Place of Enlistment:                Brisbane 

Age of Enlistment:                   21 Years 9 months 

Date of Enlistment:                 17th of February 1917 

Embarked:                               Melbourne, 21st of June 1917 

Transport Ship:                       A29 HMAT Suevic 

Medals Awarded:                    British War Medal, Victory Medal 

Place of Death:                       Killed in Action, Battle of Villers Bretonneux, France, 26th of June 1918  

Resting Place:                        Buried Adelaide British Cemetery Villers Bretonneux, Plot 3, Row C, Grave 14, France 

Unit Badge:                            41st Australian Infantry Battalion AIF 

 

Additional Information:  

The 26th of June saw several artillery duels fought between the Germans and Australian guns near the village of Villers-Bretonneux where the 41st Battalion was stationed. Several casualties were sustained by the 41st Battalion including Private Thacker.

Private Thacker was acting as a temporary stretcher bearer and attending to the wounded near Villers Bretonneux at 3.30pm on 26 June 1918. Thacker had stopped to render assistance to Sergeant Llewellyn Richards who had been hit by shell fire when a exploding shell again wounded Richards and hit Thacker, killing him.