24th Battalion
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Ernest James Downing (SN 1787) born at Mt. Egerton, was a 25 year old miner when he enlisted in Ballarat on June 9th1915. He embarked aboard the Demosthenes on July 16th and he reached Gallipoli, in late September, to serve with the 24th Infantry Battalion. He was only there for a few days before illness forced his evacuation to hospital. His health continued to decline, and he was returned to Australia aboard the Nestor, disembarked at Melbourne on March 9th 1916 and was discharged ‘medically unfit’ on September 13th.
His brothers David and William also served in the AIF and are honoured with trees in the Avenue.
