Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Edward Joseph Stack was the fourth of five children born to Thomas and Catherine (nee Sheehan) Stack, Paddington Brisbane.

Edward’s father - Thomas Stack was born in the farming district of Pallas, in the parish of  Lixnaw near Listowel, Count Kerry Ireland on the 7^th February 1858.  He was the second of  seven children born to Edmund Stack and his wife Mary Lynch.  Edmund Stack was a farmer. 

The harsh poverty of rural Ireland, and the opportunities for advancement in the Colony of Australia were the main driving force for Thomas’s decision to emigrate.  He emigrated in approximately 1879 and settled in Brisbane.  He found work with the Queensland Government and was eventually in charge of the formation of important railway lines in various parts of the State. He also worked on the Grandchester railway line and this influenced his decision later in life to purchase the Royal Hotel at Grandchester. 

Edward’s Mother - Catherine Sheehan was born in Ballybrown, 6 kilometres west of Limerick, Ireland in 1859.  Her parents were John and Catherine (nee Jones) Sheehan.  John Sheehan was a labourer.  Catherine immigrated to Australia in approximately 1880 with several members of her family, including her brother Michael who settled at Hope Island Queensland.

 Thomas Stack and Catherine Sheehan were married on 17 May 1885 in Brisbane and had five children:-

• Catherine ( Kate) - born 15^th June 1886
• Patrick - born 25^th July 1887 and died later that year
• Thomas Patrick (Tom)- born 30th September 1889
• Edward Joseph (Ned)- born 22nd June 1892
• John James (Jack) – born 1st December 1984

 Thomas and Catherine lived in Sackville Street Paddington.  Their Catholic faith was very important to them and they were members of the local parish and the children attended the local Catholic primary School. Catherine stayed at home with the children while Thomas was working around the state.  The boys were sent to St James Christian Brothers College in Boundary Street Fortitude Valley to complete their education. 

 Thomas was employed on various Railway projects around the state including the Etheridge Railway.  Thomas retired from the railway service and went into the Hotel business.  Thomas, Catherine, Kate, Tom and Jack moved to Grandchester when Thomas purchased the Royal Hotel Grandchester in late 1912/early 1913 at a price of 650 pounds. 

 Thomas became very involved in the local community, serving on several local committees including the committee that organized the Memorial Board at the Grandchester Railway Station in 1917.  Catherine and Kate worked in the home. Son Jack worked as a labourer in the surrounding Grandchester district and Son Tom worked as the barman in his father’s hotel.  Son Tom was also a keen cricketer and a member of the Grandchester Cricket Club.  He was also a fine musician and could play the accordion and fiddle, and was often called upon to provide music at local dances.

Employment

After completing his schooling at St James Christian Brothers College in Boundary Street Fortitude Valley, Edward was employed as a clerk for the Railways Department.  He became the paymaster on the Etheridge Railway.  This line was being built by the Chillagoe Railway and Mining Company, to run between Chillagoe and Georgetown in far North Queensland.  Construction took place from 1907 to 1912.  In 1913 after completion of the railway, Edward was employed as paymaster at the Alligator Creek Meat Works in Townsville.  He remained in the employ of the meatworks until his enlistment.

War Service 

 After the outbreak of World War 1, Edward enlisted in the AIF on the 18^th October 1915.  His mother Catherine was listed as his next of kin, residing at Grandchester. 

Edward’s description on his enlistment form describes him as 5 feet 7 3/4 inches tall, weighing 9 stone 13 pounds, with a fair complexion, light brown hair and blue eyes. He was one of a group of 88 men from North Queensland who departed Townsville by Ship for initial training in Brisbane at Bells Paddock  Camp.

 Edward was assigned to the 41^st Battalion.  The AIF soon recognised his natural ability and strong work ethic and he was promoted to Sergeant of A Company on the 30^th April 1916. 

After 7 months training, the Battalion embarked on the Ship Demosthenes in Sydney 17^th May 1916, for the voyage to England, landing at Plymouth, Devon on the 20^th July 1916.

 Edward had been selected for special training at the Royal Military College at Duntroon before embarking for England, and on arrival, was assigned as an instructor to the 11^th Training Battalion, which was stationed on Salisbury Plain.  Edward was in charge of the musketry course, overseeing the training of all recruits in the use of rifles and bayonets, and served there for 14 months.

 He was assigned back to the 41^st Battalion, upon being transferred to France, on the 18^th September 1917, and took over duties of Sergeant in A Company again.  The battalion was serving on the front line in Ypres, Belgium. During this time Edward had a leave break in Paris from the 15^th to the 23^rd March 1918. 

On the 25^th May 1918 Edward was wounded in action (gassed) while serving in the trenches at Villiers Bretonneux.  Heavy shelling and strafing resulted in all but 4 men of A Company becoming causalities and having to be evacuated.  Edward was sent back to hospital in Harefield, just outside London for treatment.  His condition was described as:

Gassed (Mustard Shell) –skin of face congested and inflamed, severe conjunctivitis, Cheek and throat clear, temperature on admission 99.6. 

 His parents received notification of his wounds (severely gassed) on the 17^th June 1918 and sent a telegram to AIF headquarters requesting to know what hospital he was in. They were directed to send all mail care of the AIF.  They did however receive an update from the AIF on the 20^th listing the hospital that he was in.  Edward was discharged prematurely from Harefield Hospital on the 24^th June with 2 weeks leave but was re-admitted to Hospital in Glasgow two days later suffering from Influenza and Cellulitis of the nose.  He was discharged from Glasgow General Hospital on the 10^th July and granted the balance of his leave. 

 Edward was sent back to France and rejoined the 41^st Battalion as Sergeant of A Company again,and was serving with them at the Armistice on the 11^th November 1918. After the war it was planned that the 41^st Battalion would be repatriated back to Australia as soon as possible and notification was sent to Edward’s relatives at home to expect him back early in the new year.

 Post War Service in London

 The main administrative headquarters of the Australian Imperial Amy was in Horseferry Rd London.  The Pay Corps was based there.  The staff of the Pay Corp were unable to cope with maintaining the pay records of the AIF and in early December 1918 a communication was sent to all Battalions requesting that any members of the Battalions with pay experience were to be transferred to the Pay Corp immediately to assist them. Edward, having previously been a paymaster, was transferred to the Pay Corps on the 16^th December 1918 to assist.

On the 9^th February 1919, while he was working for the Pay Corps, a fight broke out between some soldiers in Horseferry Rd.  Edward tried to break up the fight.  In the ensuing melee he was attacked and severely beaten.  He was rushed to the Endell St Military Hospital but died there later that day of shock and his injuries.  His death was officially listed as being the result of a street accident.

His parents received notification of his death on the morning of the 19^th February 1919.  The flag at the Grandchester School was flown at half mast that day in memory of him.

Edward Joseph Stack was laid to rest at the Brookwood Military Cemetery outside London and accorded a full military funeral with firing party, bugler and pallbearers.  The coffin was draped with the Australian flag and the last post was sounded.  The service was conducted by a Catholic Priest, Father Murphy and officials from the Administrative Headquarters of the AIF were in attendance.

His personal belongings which he had on him at the time of his death were returned to his mother, and included a handkerchief, a devotional book, a ring, a diary, letters, a crucifix, a key, a disc, a charm, a rosary, and some money.  They were covered with dried blood. Photographs of the grave were taken and also forwarded to Catherine Stack. Edward’s military medals were sent to his father as per the protocol of the AIF, and later a Memorial Scroll, Memorial Plaque, and a pamphlet entitled “Where the Australians Rest” were also forwarded to Thomas.   

Edward Joseph Stack’s grave is still maintained at Brookwood Cemetery by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and he is also remembered on the Grandchester Honour Board located at the old Grandchester Railway Station.                          Lest we forget!