Eric Charles Edwards

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Tue, 30/05/2017 - 10:16

First Name:

Eric

Middle Name:

Charles

Last Name:

Edwards

Date of Birth:

Sunday, December 6, 1891

Mother's Name:

Rose Edwards nee Dillon

Father's Name:

Osman Edwards

Date Enlisted:

Thursday, August 12, 1915

Rank at Enlistment:

2nd Lieutenant

Rank at Discharge:

Lieutenant

Unit:

34th Battalion

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

British War Medal

Victory Medal

Date of Death:

Saturday, July 30, 1960

Details:

Eric Edwards was born in Gundagai, N.S.W. The family moved to the Illawarra district when Eric's father was posted to the Court House in Wollongong, N.S.W.

At enlistment Eric he was single, 25 years old and worked as a pastoralist in the Wollongong region. Eric was made 2nd Lieutenant on 6th January 1916 and embarked from Sydney on HMAT A15 Port Sydney with 34th Battalion, 2nd Reinforcement on 4th September 1916.

He arrived in England on 29th October 1916 and served there until he joined 34th Battalion, and his brother Cyril who was also serving with 34th Battalion, in Belgium on 6th October 1917.

Eric was wounded in action on 12th October 1917 at Passchendaele and evacuated to hospital in England for treatment of severe gun shot wounds to his left arm.

On 5th November 1917 he was promoted to Lieutenant.

He returned to France on 5th April 1918 and served until 17th July 1918 when he was wounded a second time. He was evacuated to hospital for treatment of the same wound, a gun shot to his left arm.

Eric was returned to Australia in October 1919 and discharged from the AIF on 12th February 1920.

In 1924 he married Esme Farquar.

Eric died in 1960.

Sources:

NAA: B2455, EDWARDS E C