Born in Dungog on the 1st of January 1893, Ernest Victor was the fifth of eight children to Charles Edward and Ellen (nee Stanton) Tonks.
Working as a labourer Ernest enlisted at Sydney Showground on the 6th of October 1916, aged 23 years 9 months. The next day he was entrained to the 17th MMG Reinforcements at Seymour, Victoria where he remained until the 4th of January 1917.
On the 10th of May 17 MG Depot Ernest departed for Melbourne where he embarked aboard the HMAT (A9) Shropshire bound for England the next day.
Arriving in England on the 19th of July he went straight to the 1st Training Battalion at Durrington. On the 10th of October the 1st and 2nd Battalions moved approximately 31 kilometres from Durrington and to Sutton Veny, where Ernest arrived on the 22nd of October. On the 8th he was awarded 7 days Confinement to Barracks for failing to obey Company Standing Orders in that his spare boots were dirty during a hut inspection the previous day.
On the 1st January 1918, he proceeded overseas from Folkston from Machine Gun Training Depot arriving at MGCBD, Camiers the next day. On the 15th of January he left Camiers to join the 24th MG Coy where he arrived 3 days later.
On the 6th of April Ernest was reported missing and believed captured by Cpl Lane and Pvt Ruschfler. On the 25th of April he was unofficial reported as a Prisoner of War (POW) in German hands. On the 1st of July the report was updated to POW and wounded (although the details of his wounds are unknown). The 1st AIF was officially notified of his being a POW on the 5th of August
After the war ended, Ernest was repatriated from Ripon arriving in England on the 9th of January 1919 and on the 13th of January he was granted leave in London until the 14th of February. Having reporting for duty, he was transferred to No 2 Convalescent Depot, Weymouth
Between the 21st and the 24th of March Ernest was a patient at the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital, Bulford and on discharge from Hospital he returned to Sutton Very for a short time before embarking aboard the Warwickshire on the 5th of April for his return to Australia. He disembarking from the Warwickshire arriving at 2 MD on the 31st of May.
Between wars, Ernest married Minnie Isobel Gillet in Kempsey on the 10th of March 1920.
At age 49 and working as a labourer Ernest again enlisted at Paddington on the 6th of January 1942 marching in to General Details Depot Sydney. Minnie and their 4 children lived upstairs at the Crown Café, Macksville which was owned by Minnie’s mother.
Teo days after his enlistment Ernest marched in to the 16th Garrison Battalion, Hay. He was awarded an admonishment for being Absent Without Leave (AWL) from 18:00 hrs on the 21st of April until 18:00 hrs on the 29th of April.
Suffering from Influenza he was admitted to 113 Australian General Hospital on the 30th of June and on the 7th was transferred to URT, Concord before being again transferred to 103 Convalescent Hospital on the 20th of July. On the 29th Ernest rejoined his unit.
Ernest was then transferred and taken on strength with the 16th Australian Garrison Battalion
He was again in strife when on the 28th of July when he was charged with ‘Loosing clothing and regimental necessities to the value of 4/-‘. He was fined the 4/- and given another reprimand.
From 09:00 on the 27th of November until 08:30 on the 1st of December Ernest was again AWL and was awarded 7 days Confined to Barracks (CB). His misdemeanors seemed short lived however, as on the 23rd of December he was entitled to ‘proficiency pay’.
On the 26th of June 1944 underwent his medical assessment which was downgraded to Class 2B being ‘middle aged’. By the 6th of February 1945 Ernest’s health had deteriorated as he was evacuated to 12 General Hospital suffering from Neuasthenia, a nervous energy caused by ‘modern life’ (or what we now know as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and placed on the dangerously ill list. The next day he was evacuated to the 113 Aust. General Hospital with persistent vomiting. By the 13th of March he was downgraded to the ‘seriously ill list’ from which he was removed on the 26th of March.
On the 6th of June Ernest was reviewed by the Medical Board as ‘unfit for service duty’ and on the 20th of July was finally medically discharged from the army.
Ernest passed away on the 25th of August 1962. His was survived by his wife Minni who passed away in 1980.
