Hudson, Edward George
2815 Sergeant Edward George Hudson - 5th Pioneer Battalion AIF
Edward George Hudson was born on the 6th November 1884 in Belvidere, Strathalben, South Australia to Edward and Emily Hudson. He had three siblings, Cleve (1889), Horace (1892) and Joseph (1894).
H came to Western Australia in early 1900's and worked at Cossack and Roebourne.
George had also resided in Subiaco, Western Australia in 1908.
In November 1908 he married Jesse Finlay in Roebourne, Western Australia, Australia
On the 18th November 1911 Mavis Jessie Jane Hudson was born in North Fremantle and the family was living at 'Woodbine' Bay Road North Fremantle
On August 6th, 1914, a son, Kelvin George Hudson was born. While the family spent much time in North Fremantle, George was also working at Cossack where he ran a hotel and worked as a motor mechanic, but with the declining population, the hotel was closed and not long after George enlisted into the AIF.
George had his occupation listed as a motor mechanic when he enlisted at Blackboy Hill on the 28th February 1916, aged 31 and 2 months. His family was living in North Fremantle.
The medical examiner passed George as fit for service and described his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 7 & 1/4 inches tall;
Weight - 9 stone 8;
Chest Measurement - 36 inches;
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Greyish;
Hair - Brown.
After his successful enlistment George was sent to No.52 Depot Company where he was taken through the basics of infantry work. On the 7th March 1916 George was then assigned as a Sapper to the Engineering reinforcements. On the 20th May 1916 he was promoted to Corporal and on the 19th June was appointed to the Tunnelling Corps reinforcements. On the 1st August 1916 George was promoted to Sergeant and then on the 4th September he was transferred to the 6th Reinforcements to the 5th Pioneer battalion.
George embarked from Fremantle Harbour on the transport ship Port Melbourne on the 30th October 1916, and after the long sea voyage disembarked at Devonport Harbour on the 28th December 1916. He was then sent to the Pioneer Training Camp at Larkhill on the Salisbury Plains.
On the 28th February 1917 George was sent to France and on reaching the 5th Australian Division Base Depot he had to revert to the rank of Private. On the 10th March 1917 George came down ill with measles and was sent to the 24th General Hospital. On the 20th March 1917 George rejoined the Base Depot and spent another eight days there. On the 28th March 1917 he marched out to join the 5th Pioneer Battalion, officially being taken on strength of them on the 3rd April 1917.
The 5th Pioneer Battalion were then on the Bullecourt front and in May 1917 George would have participated in the 2nd Battle of Bullecourt. He came through this action safely and in June 1917 the 5th Australian Division was pulled out of the line for a three-month rest period.
On the 12th July 1917 George was appointed to the rank of Lance Corporal.
In August 1917, their rest period was coming to a close and the 5th Australian Division made their way to Belgium where they would take part in the Third Battle of Ypres from September to November 1917. The 5th Pioneers supported the operations of their infantry around Ypres, Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke and Broodseinde Ridge. George came through the Ypres actions unscathed and on the 22nd October was promoted to Corporal.
From December 1917 to March 1918, the Australians were holding the front line between Messines and Ypres and George would have been kept busy during the Belgian winter.
On the 27th February 1918 George was Granted a two-week furlough to the UK, returning to his unit on the 14th March 1918.
As a result of the German offensive of March 21st 1918 which broke through the British line further south, the Australian Divisions were sent from Belgium to the Somme area to help stop this German advance. The 5th Division went into the line near the Somme River and Villers-Bretonneux.
The German advance was stopped and the Australians held the Villers-Bretonneux sector for the next few months. On the 13th May 1918 George was promoted to the rank of Temporary Sergeant and then Sergeant on the 13th July 1918.
On August 8th the great advance from the Amiens front commenced and the Germans were pushed back. George and the 5th Pioneers would have been following up their infantry advances over the next several weeks as they advanced from Villers-Bretonneux to Peronne and then to the Hindenburg Line.
On the 24th September 1918 George was evacuated sick to the 14th Field Ambulance and was diagnosed with tachycardia. He was then sent to the 33rd Casualty Clearing Station and from there to the 2nd General Hospital at Le Havre. He then spent a few more weeks at the convalescent depot.
On the 7th November 1918 George was discharged to the Base Depot at Le Havre and was still there when the Armistice was announced.
George returned to the 5th Pioneer Battalion on the 2nd December 1918. He had a medical on the 29th December 1918 and it was decided to return him home.
He returned to Southampton on the 14th January 1919 from France. Returned to Australia per Euripides with Effort Syndrome on 3rd March 1919 and disembarked in Fremantle on the 10th April 1919. Edward George Hudson was discharged from the AIF on the 27th May 1919. Awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Edward initially lived in North Fremantle on his return before moving back to Roebourne.
On December 6th, 1923, a son, Clement Edward Hudson was born in Roebourne.
On November 12, 1931, George's daughter Mavis Jessie Jane Hudson married Stanley Edwin Harold Hansen at the Registrar Office, Roebourne, Western Australia.
In 1942 his son Kelvin George Hudson married Adele May Andrews in Marble Bar, Western Australia, Australia.
Edward George Hudson died aged 83 on Oct 14 1968 in Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia and was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery, Nedlands City, Western Australia, Australia. He is memorialised in the Crematorium Rose Gardens Garden 6 Position 0035
Jessie died aged 91 in Carlisle 10/03/1976 and is Memorialised the same as George.
Information kindly supplied by Helen Harmer