Bath, Edward

No.4670 – Private Edward John Bath 2^nd Machine Gun Battalion

Edward John Sanders Bath was born in Gympie Queensland on the 27^th 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 Arundle 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 12^th 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 12^th Reinforcements to the 28^th Btatalion. This group embarked from Fremantle on the H.M.A.T. Aeneas on the 17^th April 1916. After arriving in England in June the men were taken on strength of the 7^th Training Battalion on Salisbury Plains where they would spend the next three months training. On the 15^th September 1916, Edward embarked for France where he joined the 28^th 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 8^th November 1916, Edward embarked on the hospital ship “Western Australia”. He was admitted to 2^nd Southmead General Hospital at Bristol, and on the 28^th November transferred to 3^rd Auxiliary Hospital. Edward recovered and was sent to camp at Perham Downs. On the 16^th January 1917 he returned to France and spent some time at the 2^nd Australian Division Base Depot. On the 14^th March 1917 he returned to the 28^th Battalion, and on the 19^th March was detached for duty with the 7^th Light Trench Mortar Battery and then the 7^th 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 7^th Machine Gun Company.

In March 1918 the 5^th, 6^th, 7^th & 22^nd Machine Gun Companies joined up to form the 2^nd 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 9^th 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 19^th January 1919. On the 3^rd March 1919 he was discharged from the AIF as medically unfit.

Unfortunately Edward’s health never full recovered and he died on the 22^nd 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 19^th August 1916 & Leslie on the 6^th November 1917.