EDWARDS, Gordon James
| Service Number: | 817 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 22 April 1915, Liverpool |
| Last Rank: | Trooper |
| Last Unit: | 12th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Cumnock, New South Wales, Australia, 23 November 1892 |
| Home Town: | Parkes, Parkes, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Illness, Lebanon, 26 November 1918, aged 26 years |
| Cemetery: |
Beirut War Cemetery 365 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Chepstow War Memorial, Parkes & District Cenotaph, Parkes District Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 22 Apr 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 817, 12th Light Horse Regiment, Liverpool | |
|---|---|---|
| 25 Jun 1915: | Involvement Private, 817, 12th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
| 25 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 817, 12th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Ceramic, Sydney | |
| 29 Aug 1915: | Transferred AIF WW1, Trooper, 7th Light Horse Regiment | |
| 7 Sep 1915: | Wounded AIF WW1, Trooper, 817, 7th Light Horse Regiment, ANZAC / Gallipoli, GSW side and back | |
| 16 Oct 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 53rd Infantry Battalion | |
| 8 Mar 1918: | Transferred AIF WW1, Trooper, 12th Light Horse Regiment | |
| 26 Nov 1918: | Involvement Trooper, 817, 12th Light Horse Regiment, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 817 awm_unit: 12th Australian Light Horse Regiment awm_rank: Trooper awm_died_date: 1918-11-26 |
Gordon and May
Gordon James Edwards 12th Australian Lighthorse was my grandfather.He was born in NSW at Rocky Ponds Station which was in the area close to the Parkes Radio Telescope. He joined up in April 1915.
He was wounded at Gallipoli and sent via Mudros and Malta to the UK.
He and ten other ANZACs were admitted to Albany Military Hospital in Roath Cardiff on October 4th 1915.
Two weeks later they were sent by train to Chepstow Red Cross Hospital which had been opened in late 1914 and received the first patients in March 1915.
While at Chepstow Gordon was nursed by May James the daughter of a local builder. They married in June 1916. Gordon was by then fit for duty, he was sent to France but soon after suffered with appendicitis and was sent back to the UK to Newport just a few miles from Chepstow.
He rejoined the 12th Lighthorse- two of his brothers were also Lighthorse. His and May’s only child May Joan - known as Joan was born in May 1917.
Through late 1917 and 1918 he and his brothers were in Palestine. They were on their way back to the coast after the Armistice when Gordon died of pneumonia. He is buried in Beirut.
The hospital in Cardiff was a school commandered in August 1914 and became part of 3rd Western General.
The hospital in Chepstow was a private house, after WW1 it became a cottage hospital it is now a Museum and currently has an exhibition about the Red Cross and includes May and Gordon’s story.
Submitted 15 February 2024 by Liz McBride
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