Knapp, Edward John

4228 Private Edward John Knapp - 12th Battalion AIF

Edward John Knapp was born in 1897 in Greenough WA to Charles and Mary Knapp The family moved to Fremantle and Edwards was educated locally at CBC Fremantle, and after leaving school took up work as an electrician. During this time Edward served in the 86A Cadets and also continued his service in the 86th Regiment of the Citizens Military Forces.

Prior to the Great War Edward was living as 76 Adelaide St Fremantle. (Later renumbered to 39 Adelaide Street)

On the 7th October 1915 Edward enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was found to be fit for enlistment, being passed by the medical examiner.

On his successful enlistment, Edward was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.32 Training Depot. He spent around seven weeks in the training depot and was then assigned to the 13th Reinforcements to the 12th Battalion AIF.

He trained with this group through to January 1916. On the 29th January 1916, Edward and his reinforcement group left Fremantle Harbour aboard the HMAT Borda and set sail for Egypt, arriving at Suez on the 3rd March 1916. Henry was then disembarked and sent to the 1st Division reinforcement camp.

He remained with the reinforcements and they were shipped to France on the 29th March 1916. Arriving at Marseilles on the 5th April 1916, Henry was entrained north for Etaples where he was assigned to the 1st Australian Division Base Depot Camp. He stayed here for the next several weeks and on the 24th May 1916 he was taken on strength of the 12th Battalion AIF.

The 12th Battalion were then in the Armentieres sector and in July 1916 moved to the Somme battlefield. On the 12th July 1916 Edward was sent to the 1st New Zealand Stationary Hospital in Amiens as he was suffering from pneumonia. He had a few weeks in hospital and so missed the 12th Battalion's action at Pozieres on July 23rd 1916.

His health was not improving and on the 28th July 1916 he was transferred to No.1 Australian General Hospital at Rouen. He had another week here and was then shipped to England. On arrival he was sent to Beauford War Hospital in Bristol. He was very ill and would remain a patient here till the 14th October 1916. Edward was then transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield. He had another two weeks here and was then transferred to No.2 Command Depot Camp in Weymouth.

Edward only had a few days at Weymouth and then was transferred to No.4 Command Depot Camp at Wareham. While he was here he fell ill with venereal disease and was then transferred to No.1 Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford. He had several weeks here and on the 3rd March 1917 returned to Wareham Camp.

While at Wareham Edward was transferred to the newly forming 70th battalion of the 6th Division AIF. Over the next three months, Edward got into trouble a few times, for going absent from camp, gambling, neglecting to obey orders, for being in unlawful possession of a firearm. After these issues he was given 28 days detention.

Due to the 6th Division being disbanded due to lack of reinforcements, the men were sent back to their previous units. Edward returned to the 12th Battalion on the 16th October 1917. He served through the last few weeks of the Ypres campaign in Belgium and was in the vicinity of Celtic Wood, Broodseinde Ridge and Passchendaele.

From December 1917 to March 1918 the 12th Battalion helped hold the front line in Belgium just south of east of Ypres near Hollebeke.

On the 21^st March 1918 the Germans launched their spring offensive which broke the line of the 3^rd and 5^th British Armies and they subsequently were making a speedy advance towards Amiens. The 3^rd and 4^th Australian Divisions were initially sent to stop the advance and were closely followed by the 2^nd and 5^th Divisions. The 1^st Australian Division moved south in early April but had just reached Amiens when news of another breakthrough came to them up north from where they had just left, so the 1^st Australian Division returned north to the Hazebrouck region. The 12^th Battalion, as part of the 1^st Australian Division, would spend April to July 1918 on this front, with the 12^th seeing much action around Merris and Meteren.

On the 26th May 1918 Edward went absent without leave and there are two different notations in his record, one stating it was three days and another for eleven days. As he was confined to camp for 10 days as a punishment, it was more likely that it was just the three days that he went AWL.

In early August 1918 the 1^st Australian Division returned to Amiens to take part in the planned offensive. On August 8^th 1918, Australian, British, Canadian and French soldiers took part in the great offensive which broke the German lines and sent them into retreat. The 12^th Battalion came into the action on August 9th/10th near Lihons and seemed to be in constant action until mid September as the advanced progressed through Rosieres, Framerville, Chuignolles and onto Peronne.

On August 23rd at Chuignolles Edward was shot through the left leg while he was advancing on the German positions. He was treated at the 1st Australian Field Ambulance and was then sent on to the 6th General Hospital at Rouen. He only spent a few days there and was then shipped to England, being admitted to Graylingwell Military Hospital in Chichester. On the 5th September 1918 he was transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield. After two days here Edward was well enough to be released and was given a two week furlough.

On the final day of his leave period he reported ill and was sent to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford with a recurrence of venereal disease. He was a patient here till the 1st November 1918. He was then transferred to No.1 Command Depot Camp at Sutton Veny. He was still there when the Armistice was signed on the 11th November 1918. On the 14th November 1918 Edward skipped camp and was arrested by the Australian Military Police on the 26th November 1918. As a punishment Edward was fined 40 days pay and had to undergo 28 days of Field Punishment No.2 which often involved extra duties and hard labour.

In early 1919 Edward again fell ill and was returned to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford. He was there for the first few months of 1919. He was then sent to No.1 Group Camp at Parkhouse but again went absent without leave and this time seemed to go absent for a few months. It appears Edward was apprehended again in October 1919 but with the war being over for nearly a year, Edward seems to have escaped any harsh punishment and instead was sent to the troopship Aeneas for the journey home.

Edward left England on the 22nd November 1919 and arrived back in Fremantle on the 1st January 1920. Edward was then discharged from the AIF on the 2nd April 1920.

On his return home Edward went back to live in Adelaide Street and resumed his employment as an electrician. By 1925 he was living at 21 Hubble Street East Fremantle (later renumbered to 7 Hubble Street)not showing on property list

He was in Hubble Street for a few years but then moved to Shuffrey Street - Fremantle. Edward was now working as a bookmaker.

Edwards' father died in May 1935 in Fremantle and his Mother in August 1937.

On the 8th November 1938 Edward married Eunice Irene Duperouzel. They were then residing at Shenton Park.

Edward died on the 4th September 1966 in Floreat WA aged 69. He was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery plot Roman Catholic Lawn 4 0255.