Jackson, Ernest

3376 Private Ernest Jackson MM - 51st Battalion AIF

Ernest Jackson was born in Port Adelaide South Australia in 1892 to Alec and Mary Jackson. He had several siblings, Harold (1889), Hilda (1890), Ruby (1891), Herbert (1894), Roy (1896), Daisy (1897), Alexander (1899), Lillian (1902), Hilda (1905) and Victor (1907).

The family had moved to Western Australia in 1895 while Ernie was still young and took up residence at 41 Glyde Street East Fremantle (now called 19 Glyde Street).

After leaving school Ernie took up work as a horse driver.

On the 21st July 1915 Ernie enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was found to be fir for enlistment with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 6 & 3/4 inches;

Weight - 132 lbs;

Chest Measurement - 32-34 inches;

Complexion - Fair;

Eyes - Blue;

Hair - fair.

Upon his successful enlistment, Ernie was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.18 Depot. He was taken through the basics of infantry work at this Depot Camp.

Ernie would spend two months at this training camp and on the 27th September 1915 he was assigned to the 11th Reinforcements to the 11th Battalion AIF. He trained with this group in WA for just over a month as on the 2nd November 1915 Ernie embarked from Fremantle Harbour aboard the transport ship HMAT Ulysses.

In late November 1915 the ship arrived in Egypt and the men were disembarked. They would have been expecting to have been sent on to Gallipoli, but with the battlefield being evacuated Ernie would wait to join the 11th Battalion when they returned to Egypt.

The 11th battalion returned to Egypt in the new year and Ernie was taken on strength of the 11th battalion on the 23rd January 1916. He trained with his unit in Egypt for the next six weeks.

As a result of the expansion of the AIF from two infantry division to five, the sixteen original battalions would be split in half, so as to give the new battalions a sprinkling of experienced soldiers. When the 11th Battalion was split in half, Ernie was part of the Battalion that went on to join the 51st Battalion.

He was officially taken on strength of the 51st Battalion on the 1st March 1916. Ernie would now train with the 51st Battalion in Egypt until the end of May 1916. They then received their embarkation orders for France and on the 5th June 1916, Ernie and the 51st Battalion boarded the transport ship Ivernia and set sail for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 12th June 1916.

After arriving in Marseilles, the 51st Battalion were entrained to northern France. They would be heading for the Armentieres region where they would have their first experience of the Western Front. They only had a few weeks in the line near Estaires and in mid July 1916 were sent to the Somme Battlefield.

The 51st battalion fought their first major action from the 14th to 16th August 1916 between Pozieres and Mouquet Farm. A fortnight later, on the 3rd September 1916, the 51st captured part of the farm but with open flanks the Germans were able to retake the position. Casualties for the 51st Battalion were heavy on both occasions but Ernie came through both unscathed.

After the Mouquet Farm action, the 51st Battalion went to Ypres Belgium for about six weeks as it was then a quieter part of the front line. However by November 1916 the 51st Battalion were back on the Somme battlefield. They would spend the 1916/17 French winter in the vicinity of ruined villages near the front line of Flers and Longueval.

In March 1917 the Germans began their withdrawal to their pre-prepared defensive positions known as the Hindenburg Line. The Australian units, including the 51st Battalion pressed the Germans all the way. Ernie and the 51st battalion saw action around Vaulx-Vraucourt and Noreuil in late March early April 1917.

On April 11th during the 4th Division's attack at Bullecourt, the 51st Battalion were in reserve but their stretcher bearers and runners (including Ernie) were kept busy.

In June 1917 the 4th Division were sent to the Messines in Belgium and they would remain in this sector till August 1917. On the 20th August 1917 Ernie was sent to hospital with laryngitis. He was initially sent to the 13th Field Ambulance, and then to the 4th Field Ambulance and then the 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station.

Ernie was then sent by ambulance train to the French town of Rouen and was admitted to the 5th General Hospital. On the 5th September 1917 Ernie was shipped to England and was admitted to the Alexandra Hospital in Cosham. He remained there till the 21st September 1917 when he was transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford. He spent a week there and then on the 28th September Ernie was given a two week furlough.

On the 12th October 1917 with his leave period over, Ernie reported for duty to the No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth. He spent nine days there and on the 21st October was transferred to No.1 Command Depot Camp at Sutton Veny. Ernie remained here until the 8th November 1917 when he was transferred to the Overseas Training Brigade Camp at Longbridge Deverell.

Ernie spent twenty days at this camp and on the 28th November 1917 left Southampton on a transport ship for France. On arrival at Le Havre he was marched into the 4th Australian Division Base Depot. Ernie then rejoined the 51st Battalion on the 3rd December 1917.

When he rejoined them, the 4th Australian Division were then in the vicinity of Peronne but in January 1918 moved back to near Ypres in Belgium and they would remain here for the next few months.

As a result of the German offensive on March 21st 1918 which broke through the British front further south, the Australian Divisions were sent to the Somme to help stop this German advance. The 51st Battalion initially went to Bresle near Albert and then further forward to Dernancourt. The 51st Battalion was one of the units which helped stop the German advance at Dernancourt on April 5th 1918. 

On April 24th 1918 the Germans advanced again and captured Villers-Bretonneux. A counter attack was immediately organised with the 13th and 15th Australian Brigades plus a British unit to recapture the village.

The counter attack was successful and Villers-Bretonneux was recaptured. However the casualties for the 51st Battalion had been very heavy. Ernie came through the attack safely and was subsequently awarded the Military Medal for bravery. The official recommendation reads;

On night 24/25th April 1918 during a counter attack by the Battalion on a strong enemy position south of Villers-Bretonneux. These two men (Ernest Jackson and Samuel Brown), who are Battalion runners, continually carried messages through heavy machine gun and  shell fire to the Companys and Forward Brigade Station. When other communications failed they were ever ready to carry messages regardless of their own personal safety. Their coolness and courage throughout the operation were conspicuous.

The Battalion then remained on the Villers-Bretonneux front. On the 1st May 1918 Ernie was promoted to Lance Corporal.

On the 26th June 1918 Ernie was given a two week furlough to Paris, rejoining the 51st Battalion on the 10th July 1918.

Ernie was with the 51st Battalion on the 8th August 1918 when they took part in the advance from Villers-Bretonneux which broke through the German line. The 51st Battalion initially advanced north of the Somme when it came to the French village of Bray. They were in action up till the 18th September 1918 when the Battalion fought at Le Verguier. The 51st Battalion was then pulled out of the line for a well deserved rest period.

Ernie had survived these last few months unscathed and on October 4th 1918 was given a two week furlough to the UK. He returned to the 51st Battalion on the 20th October 1918 and was with his unit when the Armistice was announced on the 11th November 1918.

After the German surrender, the Australian units were sent into the areas of France and Belgium that had been under German occupation and they remained here for the next few months.

On the 27th January 1919 Ernie returned to England and was sent to No.1 Command Depot Camp at Sutton Veny. He would wait here to be assigned a berth on a troopship home.

On the 28th February 1919 Ernie boarded the transport ship Anchises and set sail home for Australia, disembarking at Albany on the 7th April 1919.

Ernie was discharged from the AIF on the 3rd June 1919.

Once he had returned home Ernie returned to his pre war occupation of horse driver and was living at 76 Duke Street East Fremantle for a few years before moving to 148 King Street (now 76 King). Ernie remained in King Street until the mid 1930's.

On the 27th October 1934 Ernie married Ivy May Jardine in Fremantle and after their marriage they moved to Buckland Hill in Mosman Park. Ernie had gone from being a horse driver to a Truck Driver.

Ernie and Ivy remained living at Buckland Hill until the 1960's when a moved took place to Williams Road in Nedlands.

Ernie died on the 26th January 1975 aged 82. He was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery.