Bath, Edward
No.4670 – Private Edward John Bath 2nd Machine Gun Battalion
Edward John Sanders Bath was born in Gympie Queensland on the 27th December 1882 to Thomas & Elizabeth Bath. Edward had several siblings, with, William (born 1884), Walter (1886), Albert (1888), Ethel (1890), Henry (1893), Leslie (1895), William (1898) and Victor (1901). The family had moved from Queensland down to NSW and then across to WA. Edward was educated at Broken Hill NSW and later took up employment in Western Australia where he married Mary Ray in Coolgardie in 1905. They had several children, Ethel was born in 1905, Albert in 1907, Alfred in 1909, Cecil in 1911 and Ruth in 1913.
The family took up residence in 34 Arundel Street Fremantle, though it appears Edward was still working as a miner in Boulder & Kalgoorlie. The 1915 census gives an address in Pirie Street Kalgoorlie. While he was working in Kalgoorlie he also served in the Militia outfit the Goldfields volunteers.
When he was 33 years old, Edward enlisted into the AIF on the 12th April 1916. The medical examiner found him to be 5 feet 5 & ½ inches in height; weight of 127 lbs, chest measurement of 33-35 inches; dark complexion, brown eyes and dark brown hair. His religious denomination was Church of Christ. Passed as fit, Edward was assigned to the 12th Reinforcements to the 28th Btatalion. This group embarked from Fremantle on the H.M.A.T. Aeneas on the 17th April 1916. After arriving in England in June the men were taken on strength of the 7th Training Battalion on Salisbury Plains where they would spend the next three months training. On the 15th September 1916, Edward embarked for France where he joined the 28th battalion.
During the action at Flers in early November 1916, Edward was severely wounded in the face and neck. He was evacuated back to hospital on the French coast and diagnosed as serious enough to warrant his evacuation to England. On the 8th November 1916, Edward embarked on the hospital ship “Western Australia”. He was admitted to 2nd Southmead General Hospital at Bristol, and on the 28th November transferred to 3rd Auxiliary Hospital. Edward recovered and was sent to camp at Perham Downs. On the 16th January 1917 he returned to France and spent some time at the 2nd Australian Division Base Depot. On the 14th March 1917 he returned to the 28th Battalion, and on the 19th March was detached for duty with the 7th Light Trench Mortar Battery and then the 7th Machine Gun Company. He served with this Company through the rest of 1917 through battles such as Bullecourt and Third Ypres. In January 1918, Edward was sent to hospital sick, but soon rejoined the 7th Machine Gun Company.
In March 1918 the 5th, 6th, 7th & 22nd Machine Gun Companies joined up to form the 2nd Machine Gun Battalion, so this would be Edward’s new unit. They were soon sent down to the Somme to try and stop the German offensive. This they managed to do, though Edward was evacuated sick with Bronchitis. It must have been severe as he was evacuated all the way back to England where he was admitted to Bath War Hospital.
Edward never regained full health required for active service and so never returned to France; he remained in England for the rest of the war. On the 9th December 1918 Edward Embarked for Australia aboard the “Argyllshire”. He was still suffering from Bronchitis and Asthma, and landed back in Fremantle during the height of summer on the 19th January 1919. On the 3rd March 1919 he was discharged from the AIF as medically unfit.
Unfortunately Edward’s health never full recovered and he died on the 22nd August 1921. He is buried in Karrakatta General Cemetery, Plot CC.BA.45
Four brothers of Edwards served in the war, Henry, Leslie, Walter & William. Henry died in France on the 19th August 1916 & Leslie on the 6th November 1917.