Ernest Albert Corey

Ernest Albert Corey, MM & Three Bars (20 December 1891 – 25 August 1972) was a distinguished Australian soldier who served as a stretcher bearer during the First World War. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 13 January 1916, and was allocated to the 55th Battalion, where he was initially posted to a grenade section before volunteering for stretcher bearing duties. In 1917 he was twice awarded the Military Medal for his devotion to duty in aiding wounded soldiers, and twice again in 1918; becoming the only person to be awarded the Military Medal four times.

Born in New South Wales, Corey was employed as a blacksmith's striker upon leaving school. In January 1916, he became a member of the "Men from Snowy River" recruiting march, enlisting in Goulburn. Returning to Australia after the Armistice, he was discharged on medical grounds in 1919 and was employed in a number of jobs before re-enlisting in a militia battalion for service in the Second World War. He died in 1972 and was buried with full military honours in the Ex-Servicemen's section of Woden Cemetery, Australian Capital Territory.

Early life Corey was born on 20 December 1891 in Numeralla, New South Wales, the eighth child of Thomas Corey and his wife Ellen, née Burke. He was educated at Thubergal Lake Public School, before leaving to become a blacksmith's striker at Martin's Smithy in Cooma. In January 1916, Corey marched from Cooma to Goulburn as a member of the "Men from Snowy River" recruiting march, and enlisted on 13 January. Along with the majority of other members of the march, he was allotted to the 55th Battalion. Arriving in England, he spent three months with the 14th Training Battalion at Hurdcott Camp near Fovant in Wiltshire, It was here where Corey received the second bar to his Military Medal; between 1–2 September, while subject to heavy machine gun and artillery fire, he continually assisted the wounded with first aid.

He then went through a series of jobs, including employment as a caretaker, a cook for a departmental survey party and as a leading hand at the Canberra incinerator. By 1951 he was almost crippled with osteoarthritis, and soon after was admitted to the Queanbeyan Private Nursing Home,

His medals are displayed in the First World War gallery at the Australian War Memorial, His citation read:

Memorial Following several donations by the people of Cooma and the Monaro District, a Memorial Plaque to Corey was erected in Centennial Park, Cooma in 1979. In 1995, the plaque was moved to the Cooma Memorial and the committee involved with the relocation decided to erect a diorama based on a painting in the Australian War Memorial depicting stretcher bearers bringing in wounded soldiers under heavy shell fire at Mont St Quentin during the First World War. A local artist and sculptor, Chris Graham, was commissioned to undertake the project which was constructed from steel and concrete. It was erected in the Cooma War Memorial area on 23 April 1996.

Ernest Corey's medals on display at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.

The inscription on the memorial reads: