Private Ernest McAfee

Private Ernest McAfee was born at Fountain Place, Ballymena, Ireland on 12 Sept 1880, to parents Charles John McAfee and Margaret Jane Courtenay. The family arrived in Melbourne aboard the RMS Garonne of the Orient Line on 16 Oct 1886 along with Ernest’s younger sister Ruth. He was six years of age, and she was two. Ernest’s mother tragically died in 1899 at the age of 44. Ernest’s father remarried in 1913, but was found drowned in the Yarra River, Melbourne, one week later.

Ernest went on to marry Kate Sadlier in 1902 and lived throughout regional Victoria and Melbourne’s Eastern suburbs where they raised three children. Myrtle, Leonard and Jean.

Enlisting on 21 Aug 1915 whilst living at 2 Holroyd Street Coburg Ernest gave his occupation as a painter. His religion was Church of England. Initially serving with “B Coy 21st Depot Battalion, Warrnambool, he went on to embark from Australia to Egypt to joining 4th Training Battalion ex “Anchises”, Tel el Kebir, before being posted to 46th Battalion on 24 May 1916. He arrived in France on 8 Jun 1916. The 46th Battalion saw significant losses with over 2,500 casualties and 590 deaths through major engagements at Pozières, Bullecourt (suffering severe losses), Messines, Passchendaele, Dernancourt, Amiens, and the Hindenburg Line.

After serving on the Western Front, Ernest discharged on the 5 Aug 1919 and returned to his occupation as a painter. He was noted for playing the French Horn with the 46th Battalion Band and a photo taken on 6 Mar 1918 exists of him at the Australian War Memorial.

He later moved to Queenscliff with his wife and died on the 26th May 1946 aged 65yrs. He is buried at Queenscliff Point Lonsdale Cemetery QCF-SECT-2A-807-13B.

(Researcher Siranne Hose Gordon)