Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From ‎François Berthout‎, Australia and New Zealand in WWI

Today, the Somme sun shines on the memory of one of my boys and it is with very deep respect that I would like to present a very respectful tribute to Private number 4528 Edward Charles Gudopp who fought in the 32nd Australian Infantry Battalion and who was killed in action 102 years ago,on June 24, 1918 at the age of 20.

Edward Charles Gudopp was born in 1898 in North Pine, Brisbane, Queensland, and he was the son of Charles and Emily Gudopp and they lived in Dakabin, North Coast Railway Line, Queensland. Before the war, Edward worked as a labourer.

Enlisted on May 19, 1916 at the age of 18 in the 32nd Australian Infantry Battalion, 12th Reinforcement, he embarked with his unit from Sydney, New South Wales on board HMAT A64 Demosthenes on December 23, 1916 for England where he arrived on 3 March 1917 in Plymouth and received his training at Hurdcott in the 8th Training Battalion. He then embarked with his unit from Codford, England, on November 20, 1917 for France and was disembarked the next day at Le Havre before joining the trenches of Somme front.

Unfortunately, seven months later, on June 24, 1918, Edward was killed in action at Vaux-Sur-Somme at the age of 20.

Today, Edward Charles Gudopp rests in peace at Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, Somme, and his grave bears the following inscription "In memory of our only dearly loved son (Laddie) R.I.P

Edward, Sir, it is with the greatest of respect and with deep gratitude that I bow in front of you to say to you, from the bottom of my heart, that I wish to say thank you. You who were a young man full of life, you answered the call of duty to fight alongside your friends, alongside all these brave men from australia with whom you put on your uniform to fight for noble ideas, armed with a valiant and innocent heart, the heart of a child saying goodbye to his family, heartbreaking farewell to an unknown future.turning your gaze one last time towards the Australian rising sun for the darkness of war, you fought and served with bravery on the soil of France, on the lands of the Somme, under the gray sky torn by the thunder of the canons and by a hail of lead hiding the sun but the courage never left your heart, leaving your innocence of child behind you,you fought like the bravest of men by the side of all your brothers in arms for peace and for freedom, to make the sun shine again. Today the light shines on your name by keeping in our hearts your young face and the respectful and fraternal remembrance of France and the Somme who will never forget all that you did for us, with bravery, by giving your life and your today for our tomorrow. The Australian Souvenir will always shine in our hearts, we will never forget.At the going down of the sun and in the morning,we will remember him,we will remember them.🌺