OLDHAM, Edward Castle
| Service Number: | Officer |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 19 August 1914, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Major |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Gawler, South Australia, 8 September 1876 |
| Home Town: | Hackney, Norwood Payneham St Peters, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Prince Alfred College, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Area Officer & Gentleman |
| Died: | Killed In Action, Gallipoli, 25 April 1915, aged 38 years |
| Cemetery: |
Beach Cemetery - ANZAC Cove Plot I, Row K, Grave 12. His name is located at panel 60 in the Commemorative Area AWM, Canberra. |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Glenelg and District WW1 & WW2 Honour Board, Kent Town Prince Alfred College 'Nobly Striving, Nobly Fell' Roll of Honour, St Peters All Souls Anglican Church Honour Board WW1, St Peters Heroes War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 19 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Captain, 10th Infantry Battalion, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1914: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Captain, Officer, 10th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Ascanius embarkation_ship_number: A11 public_note: '' |
|
| 20 Oct 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Captain, Officer, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ascanius, Adelaide | |
| 1 Jan 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Major, 10th Infantry Battalion | |
| 25 Apr 1915: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Major, Officer, 10th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: awm_unit: 10 Battalion awm_rank: Major awm_died_date: 1915-04-25 |
|
| Date unknown: | Involvement 10th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières |
MAJOR E. C. OLDHAM - The Adelaide Chronicle, 08 May 1915
"The late Major Edward Castle Oldham was 39 years of age, and received his first commission in the old 10th A.I.F. in February, 1904. He was promoted to captain four years later, and was area officer for St. Peters for some time, having previously been a captain in the 78th Infantry. Major Oldham had a course in India during 1909-10, and was regarded as one of the finest infantry officers in the Commonwealth. He was particularly well known and popular in South Australia. The deceased was a single man, his mother residing at Hackney."
Submitted 16 April 2015
Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks
His brother is listed on the COMMEMORATIVE ROLL AWM
10414 Private Dudley Castle Oldham 3rd Regiment South African Infantry died of wounds 20 April 1917 at Dannes, Pas de Calais, Nord Pas de Calais, France age 38. Etaples Military Cemetery, Etaples, Nord Pas de Calais, France. Source AWM File.
Biography
Born 8 September 1876 in Gawler, South Australia
(SA Birth Record 1842 - 1906 Book: 171 Page: 76 District: Bar.)
Father William John OLDHAM and Mother Julia (nee CASTLE)
prior to embarking he lived with his parents at 'Wyandra', Hackney, South Australia.
Previous service:
10 years Commissioned Service
5 years in ranks 78th Infantry (Adelaide Rifles
He received his first commission as a Lieutenant in the 10th Australian Infantry Regiment on 6/2/1904, and was promoted to the rank of Captain in the same unit on 1/7/1908.
He underwent a military course of training in India during 1909-10.
1/11/1910 he was temporarily appointed Area Officer at St Peters, where at the outbreak of the Great War he was well known by many compulsory trainees.
19/4/1912 married Elsie Sophia Johnson (24 years)
at Office of the Registrar General, Flinders Street, Adelaide, SA
Elsie lived at 49 Bakewell Road, Evandale, St Peters, SA.
1920 - moved to Edward Street, Evandale, St Peters, SA.
Child: Son - Robert Oldham (b. 17/2/1913)
1/7/1912, upon the introduction of universal military training, he was transferred to the 78th (Adelaide Rifles) Infantry with rank of Captain, and held this commission at the time of joining the AIF.
He was regarded as one of the first Company Commanders selected by Lieutenant-Colonel S P Weir for the 10th Battalion, and was appointed a Captain at Morphettville on 19/8/1914, when he was posted to the Command of original E Company.
Described on enlisting as 38 years old; single; 5' 6" tall; 11 stone 5lbs;
Church of England
19/8/1914 Enlisted in Adelaide, South Australia
20/10/1914 Embarked from Outer Harbour, Port Adelaide, on board HMAT A11 Ascanius
as a Captain in E Company, 10th Infantry Battalion
1/1/1915 Promoted to Major in 10th Infantry Battalion, Mena, Egypt
His company merged with original C Company and became the new B Company, he was appointed to the Command of same and promoted to the rank of Major on 1/2/1915.
2/3/1915 Embarked to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Forces
on board the Ionian, ex Alexandria, for GALLIPOLI
as a Major in the 10th Infantry Battalion
25/4/1915 landed at the historical landing at Anzac, off of Prince of Wales
During the severe fighting of 25/4/1915 he unnecessarily exposed himself, and whilst in the act of so doing was shot dead.
His attention had been drawn by one of his men, and standing up in order to make a fuller observation, he was mortally wounded. He was a strict disciplinarian, but after associating with his men for some months softened considerably.
One of his men, 172 Bugler H A Bartholomaeus, wrote from Gallipoli (after the landing), referred to the death as follows:
“You remember how hard we used to think the Major was at Morphettville. Well, he turned out differently at Mena, and I don't think any company had a better officer than the one under his command.”
He was affectionately known to rank and file of the Battalion as “Froggy”.
He was particularly popular in military circles in South Australia, where his mother resided at Hackney and his wife and son at Bakewell Road, Evandale.
25/4/1915 Killed on initial landing at Anzac, Dardanelles, Gallipoli Peninsula
buried in: an Australian Cemetery, Anzac Cove, Gallipoli
Grave 7, Row XI
reburied in: Beach Cemetery, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey
Plot I, Row K, Grave 12
Medals:
1914-15 Star (2922); British War medal (4713); Victory medal (4712);
Memorial Plaque and Memorial Scroll (356329)
Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan. 16/5/2015. Lest we forget.
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