Private Edward Archer



- Rank
- Private
- Service number
- 760
- Unit
- 16 Battalion
- Cause of death
- Killed in Action
- Place of death
- Gallipoli, Turkey
- Date of death
- 27 August 1915
- Age
- 21
- Plaque number
- L406
- Co-located plaques
- L406A - PTE Ernest Archer
- L406B - PTE Arthur Forth
- Dedicated by
- Family on 18 November 2017
- More information
Biography presented during plaque dedication:
Private Edward Archer was born in August 1893 in Waterhouses, Brandon, Durham, England to Robert and Catherine Archer. His parents and three children immigrated to Western Australia aboard the Orizaba arriving in March 1897.
Robert and Catherine first lived in Coolgardie and had one child there, they then moved to Collie were eleven more children were born. Edward had seven brothers and six sisters in total.
He was educated at St Brigid’s catholic school in Collie and, after leaving school, worked underground in the Collie coal mines.
He was a promising swimmer and collected many awards for his speed and skills.
Edward joined the Australian Imperial Force in September 1914 and was posted to ‘C’ company of 16 battalion.
Seventy five percent of the unit were from Western Australia and the rest were South Australians. They were united when they trained together at Broadmeadows in Victoria with the fourth brigade.
The unit embarked from Melbourne aboard HMAT Ceramic in December and, after a brief stopover in Albany, Western Australia, arrived in Egypt early February 1915.
The fourth brigade became part of the Australian New Zealand division and landed at Anzac beach in the late afternoon of 25 April 1915.
A week after the landing, the 16th Battalion was thrown into the attack on ‘bloody angle’, suffering many casualties.
From May to August, the battalion was heavily involved in establishing and defending the front line of the Anzac beachhead and in August the 4th brigade attacked hill 971. The hill was taken at a great loss.
Private Edward Archer service number 760 of 16 Battalion was killed in action on 27 August 1915 at Gallipoli, Turkey.
He was 21 years of age and has no known grave. He is remembered on the Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey
All of Edward’s brothers served in the first or second world wars. His plaque is placed alongside that of his brother Private Ernest Archer of 2/16 Battalion and friend Private Arthur Forth of 28 Battalion.