Archer, Reginald

ARCHER, Reginald –

SPC 1906-1909

DoB:- – – – – – c1893, Adelaide, SA

Father:– – – Thomas Francis Archer, captain of a sloop trading between Broome, WA and Singapore

Mother:– – – Lizzie, 56 Grant St, Ballarat, later 132 Raglan St, Ballarat

Reginald Archer was a boarder at St Patrick’s, from Sebastopol. After finishing at the College he joined his father on his sloop, working as a pearler out of Broome, WA.

Service No:- – – 3108A

Rank:– – – – – – Private, later Lance Corporal

Unit:- – – – – – 46 Battalion

Reginald Archer joined the AIF on 25 February 1915 at 22 years of age. He was a shell opener, or pearler, working with his father out of Broome, WA. He was five feet, five and a half inches tall, of fair complexion with light blue eyes and brown hair.

He embarked at Fremantle on 29 June 1915, on board the Ascanius, which transported him to the Gallipoli Peninsula. It was at Gallipoli that he became ill with dysentery which developed into enteric fever. He was initially transferred to Hospital Ship Glenark Castle off the coast of Anzac Cove on 28 September 1915, then to the Australian General Hospital at Heliopolis, Egypt. After 54 days at Heliopolis, Private Archer was returned to Australia on board the Wandilla for three months to rest and fully recover.-

He returned to duty on 29 March 1916, however it wasn’t until 29 December 1916 that he re-embarked at Fremantle on the Persic to return to active service overseas. Upon arrival in England he proceeded to Codford training camp in March 1917 before progressing further to Havre, France. By September 1917 he had been promoted to Lance Corporal.

On 5 April 1918, Lance Corporal Reginald Archer was killed in action. He was buried at Millencourt Communal Cemetery Extension, two and a half miles west of Albert, France.