Edmondson, Edwin

Lieutenant Edwin Edmondson – 28^th Battalion AIF

Edwin Edmondson was born in York WA on the 13^th December 1889 to James and Louisa Edmondson.  The family moved a bit when Edwin was young as his father was a police officer. He attended Rockingham primary school but then the family moved to Charles Street Beaconsfield though they later took up residence in East Fremantle. Edwin wanted to continue his education to become a teacher and so undertook a mentorship with the Education Department of WA. Prior to his enlistment Edwin was working as a Manual Training Instructor. In 1915 Edwin married Margery Siggs in Leederville where they took up residence at No.67 Government Road. They would go on to have one son, Kenard born in 1917.

On the 23^rd October 1915 Edwin enlisted into the AIF at Kalgoorlie. He was found to be 5 feet 10 inches in height; weight of 176 lbs; chest measurement of 42 inches; fresh complexion; grey eyes and light brown hair. His religious denomination was Church of England. Edwin was initially posted to No.35 Depot, but was then chosen to undertake the NCO course. He started this course on the 7^th December 1915 and was soon appointed Sergeant. He served in the Depots in WA for the first two months of 1916, when in early March he applied or a commission in the AIF. The district Commandant Colonel Bruche ratified his application but stated that he would serve for a period of time in the WA infantry Depots. Edwin was appointed as a 2^nd Lieutenant on the 9^th March 1916 and served for two months in No.57 Depot.

On the 12^th May 1916 Edwin was appointed to the 16^th Reinforcements to the 28^th Battalion AIF. He trained this group in WA until they embarked at Fremantle on the 9^th October 1916 aboard the H.M.A.T. “Suffolk”. After the long sea voyage they arrived at Plymouth England on the 2^nd December 1916. When disembarked; Edwin led his reinforcement group to the 7^th Training Battalion at Rollestone Camp on the Salisbury Plains. Edwin stayed at the 7^th Training Battalion until the 13^th February 1917 when he received orders to proceed to France.

Edwin arrived at Etaples France on the 15^th February 1917 and marched into the 2^nd Australian Division Base Depot. He stayed at this depot for a week and then proceeded to join the 28^th Battalion, being taken on strength on the 23^rd February 1917. Edwin joined the 28^th Battalion just in time to join their advance during the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line. The 28^th Battalion fought in the outpost village campaign with one of their main assaults being at Lagnicourt on the 26^th March 1917. Edwin suffered a shrapnel wound to the face and was evacuated back to the 5^th Field Ambulance.

His wound was dressed and he was sent to the 5^th Dressing Station where he remained till the 31^st March when he returned to the 28^th Battalion. On the 2^nd April 1917 Edwin was promoted to Lieutenant and he fought with the 28^th Battalion at the 2^nd Battle of Bullecourt form the 3^rd-5^th May 1917. On the 5^th May Edwin was evacuated to the 5^th Field Ambulance with an injured knee. He was transferred back to the 47^th Casualty Clearing Station where he spent about three and a half weeks. On the 31^st May he rejoined the 28^th.

On the 1^st June 1917 Edwin was transferred for a period of duty to the 7^th Training Battalion in England, though after arriving in England he was admitted to 3^rd London General Hospital with the same knee trouble. He was discharged from hospital on the 26^th June and started work with the 7^th Training Battalion at Rollestone Camp. Edwin spent the next few months in England and in September attended a course at the Hayling Island School of Musketry and also Range Finding and he passed both courses.

On the 5^th October 1917 Edwin’s period at the Training Battalion ceased and he was assigned back to the 28^th Battalion, joining them in Belgium on the 11^th October 1917. Edwin had missed the 28^th’s actions in the Third Battle of Ypres but he served with them in this sector for the next month. On the 5^th November 1917 he was wounded by a gas shell and was evacuated back to the 3^rd Field Ambulance who specialised in gas casualties. After his treatment there he was passed on to the 10^th Casualty Clearing Station and then to the 20^th General Hospital at Camiers. On the 9^th November he left France with a ‘Blighty’ and was sent to England where he was admitted to 3^rd London General Hospital. Edwin spent the next several weeks here and it wasn’t until the 20^th December 1917 that he was well enough to be sent to the No.1 Command Depot at Sutton Veny Camp. On the 6^th January he was transferred to No.3 Command Depot at Hurdcott, remaining here until the 2^nd February 1918.

On the 4^th February Edwin arrived back in France and marched into the Australian Infantry Base Depot at Le Havre. He was taken back on strength of the 28^th Battalion on the 8^th February 1918. The 28^th Battalion were then in the vicinity of Messines but on the 21^st March 1918 everything changed when the Germans launched their spring offensive; where they were making huge gains on the Somme. The 3^rd & 4^th Australian Divisions were the first to be sent to stem the German advance, followed by the 2^nd & 5^th Divisions. The Australians stopped the Germans from Hebuterne in the north to Villers-Bretonneux in the south. Initially it was a defensive campaign but the Australians also began to advance by ‘peaceful penetration’ and took small pieces of territory back off the Germans.

On the 1^st July 1918 Edwin was promoted to Temporary Captain commanding “A” Company however he had to relinquish this rank on the 12^th July when he was evacuated to hospital with Asthma. Edwin was initially sent to 6^th Field Ambulance and then to the 47^th Casualty Clearing Station. On the 14^th July he was admitted to the 4^th Army Convalescent Depot and rejoined the battalion the following day but was obviously still not well as he was sent to an Officers Rest Camp for two further weeks. Edwin rejoined the 28^th Battalion on the 30^th July 1918.

On the 8^th August 1918 the large Allied offensive was launched from in front of Amiens. Australian, British, Canadian and French troops took part and it was a huge success with the Germans being pushed back. The 28^th Battalion took all their objectives in the first phase of the assault. Over the next month the Germans were pushed steadily back and by the end of August they were back across the Somme River where they took up strong defensive positions at Mont St Quentin and Peronne. The 2^nd Australian Division assaulted Mont St Quentin and the 5^th Division attacked Peronne. 

The under strength Australian battalions fought magnificently and captured both sites however on the 2^nd September Lieutenant Edwin Edmondson was killed in action. Lieutenant Farquharson (wounded five times in the war) was with him at the time. He later stated from his English hospital that;

“At Mont St Quentin, we had got almost through the enemy barrage and halted the men under a bank while he and I went forward to look around. A shell burst near and we were rolled some distance down a slope. He was lying on me and though he was not much smashed up I am sure he was killed at once. I could not move and it was about twenty minutes before stretcher bearers came in answer to my shouts. They carefully examined Lieut. Edmondson, before taking me away. We two were quite alone when we were hit, and I of course no nothing of his burial. He was very fine all through the stunt. He was my O.C. on that date and on the 29/30^th August stunt also, and was absolutely magnificent in both – calm and set a splendid example. My right arm is disabled or I would have written to his people”.

Edwin was given a battlefield burial but he was later exhumed and reburied at Hem Farm Military Cemetery plot II.K.1

There had been further loss for the family earlier in the war with Edwin’s brother in law, Private Roland Siggs being killed at Pozieres on the 29^th July 1916 while serving with the 6^th Field Company Engineers.

 However, Edwin's brother Thomas Edmondson served as a Lieutenant in the 51st Battalion and after being badly wounded at Mouquet Farm in August 1916, was invalided home to WA the following year.