Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Name: Edgar Levett
Service Number: 3659
Parents: John Levett and Lydia Levett (nee Crowhurst)
Place of Birth: Kersbrook
Date of Birth: 11 October 1889
Place of Enlistment: Keswick
Date of Enlistment: 29 January 1915
Age at Enlistment: 25 years 3 months
Marital Status: Single
Next of Kin: Mother, Mrs.J.Levett
Occupation: Farmer
Religion: Protestant
Rank: Private 7th Field Ambulance
Memorials: Kersbrook Roll of Honor; Kersbrook School Roll of Honor.
Edgar trained with A Squadron Light Horse, transferred to the Army Medical Corps on 16 April, and on 31 May 1915, his unit embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A2 Geelong.He served at Gallipoli and on 29 December was transferred to Alexandria from Mudros. Edgar was sent to France in 1916, where on 8 November he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. The citation stated, “This man has done exceptionally good all-round work since the Unit arrived in France, and especially on the Somme where he was a fine example to his comrades in courage and fortitude. On one occasion at Pozieres on 28th July 1916, he went out under heavy fire and dressed a badly wounded man, stopping the haemorrhage with a torniquet, and then carried him in.” Source: Commonwealth Gazette No.62 19 April 1917.
In addition, the following incident, whilst not specifically mentioned in the above citation, may well have accounted for his medal being awarded.
While fighting in France, his unit were being overrun by German troops on the Somme, Ed held his unit’s position against overwhelming odds, enabling the unit to move out, with their equipment of the area and seek safety. He was able to rejoin his unit 3 days later, much to their astonishment, as they had assumed Ed had been killed while holding the Germans at bay.1.
During action near Vaulx-Vraucourt, near Noreuil, France, on 3 May 1917, he suffered severe wounds to the left arm, right hip and back, and was evacuated to Rouen and later to Lewisham Military Hospital in England on 17 May.
The Sydney Morning Herald of 5 June 1917 listed Edgar Levett as wounded in action.2.
Edgar returned to Australia from England on 10 September 1917 and was discharged as medically unfit on 23 November.
Edgar was awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal, in addition to the Military Medal.
In 1918 he was listed as an official for judging dairy produce at the Kersbrook Show. In 1919 he won a prize at the Kersbrook Show for his display of potatoes. Edgar owned land in Kersbrook near his parents. By 1936 he was a milk vendor living in Flinders Park where he owned a house.2.

He died on 10 July 1951 at Daw Park and was buried at West Terrace Cemetery. The Advertiser of 12 July 1951 advised of Edgar’s burial service to be held at West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide.3


Source: www.naa; B2455; Levett. E.
Barcode 8203418.
www.aif.adfa/ Levett.E.

Footnotes:
1.Interview with Des Levett 12 August 2022.
2.The Levett Brothers in World War One:L.Watkins & K.Levett.
3. www.trove.nla.gov/digitised newspapers.