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Australia

A tinsmith from Bendigo, Vic prior to enlistment, Spr Eadie embarked as 849 Private (Pte) Eadie with D Company 21st Battalion from Melbourne on HMAT Ulysses on 10 May 1915.

Later transferring to 8th Australian Field Company, and with a new service number, Spr Eadie was initially reported as missing but was later confirmed as having been killed in action, aged 52 (NB: age at enlistment stated as 43), on 19 July 1916 and is commemorated in the Rue-David Military Cemetery, Fleurbaix, France.

Two brothers, 1849 Spr Henry Erskine Eadie and 4409 Spr Robert McGillivray Eadie, served with him in the 8th Australian Field Company. Both returned to Australia.

Source: AWM

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Cousins:

[171] Lt Edward Erskine DILWORTH MC, 1st Division Engineers, died of wounds, 6 May 1918;

[29] Lt James Allan FALCONER MC, 57th Bn, killed in action, 25 April 1918.

Enlistment date 17 March 1915, Bendigo, Victoria
Rank on enlistment Private
Unit name 21st Battalion, D Company
Unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A38 Ulysses on 10 May 1915
Regimental number from Nominal Roll 4408
Rank from Nominal Roll Private
Unit from Nominal Roll 8th Field Company Engineers
Fate Killed in Action 19 July 1916
Place of burial Rue-David Military Cemetery (Plot III, Row C, Grave No 3), Fleurbaix, France
Panel number 23, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial.
War service: Egypt, Gallipoli, Western Front
Embarked Alexandria to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, Gallipoli, 3 September 1915.
Disembarked Alexandria, 9 January 1916 (general Gallipoli evacuation).
Admitted to 1st Australian Stationary Hospital, 31 March 1916 (sore foot), and transferred to 15th Field Ambulance.
Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 17 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 25 June 1916.
Found guilty, 6 July 1916, of leaving the line of march without a reasonable excuse: awarded 168 hours' Field Punishment No 2.
Reported Missing, 19 July 1916.
Court of Enquiry, held in the field, 3 September 1917, pronounced fate as 'Killed in Action, 19 July 1916'.

Statement, 4409 Pte R. McG. EADIE, 8th Field Company Engineers, 28 August 1916: 'My brother was missing when we retired from our advanced position at Fleurbaix. He was then seen by Sgt. Precious who saw him get into the 1st line of German trenches just as we retired. The last man to see him was Sapper Barnes, who is in the 1st Section, who saw my brother unwounded but in an exhausted condition in the line of German trenches, and it was from this trench that some of our men were taken prisoners. The Germans were very close and cut off some of our men on the left. I feel sure that he is not dead but that he is a prisoner.'

Second statement, 7428 Sapper H.C. HOLSTROM, 15th FCE (patient, 2nd Southern General Hospital, Southmead, Bristol, England), 10 November 1916: 'I have seen Eadie's grave at Rifle villa [sic], Fleurbaix (?) near Sailly. It was marked with his name.'
Third statement, 175 Pte J.F. RICHARDS, 15th Field Company Engineers, 5 January 1917: 'He was killed on 19th July on Fromelles front. He was left out in No Man's Land. I was told this by Sgt. Hogg ... '

Third statement,3384 Sapper A. McAULAY, Australian Army Medical Corps detailed to 8th Field Company Engineers), 16 February 1917: 'While with the 8th. he went missing with at Bois Grenier, on 19th. July ... He was working in a sap in front of our line on the night of [the] 19th. July with others and they failed to come in next morning.'

Fourth statement, 2108/1894 Sapper H.E. EADIE, 8th Field Company Engineers, 26 March 1917: 'I am in the same coy. and was on the same job as my brother on July 19th and I made searching inquiries about him among the men of our company and at different dressing stations but without result. the only thing I can say for certain is that he was alive and well on the morning of July 20th when I saw him make a start back to the German front line.'

Fifth statement, 246 Sapper E. WHITECHA, 8th Field Company Engineers (patient, 5th General Hospital, Rouen), 11 May 1917: 'Eadie and Young [4483 A.H. YOUNG] were in a demolition party at Flers on the date mentioned. The parties consisted of six men each. I was in command of another party. The Batt. on our left retired without giving us warning, and the Germans got right round our left flank and we got badly cut up. There was a terrible mix up and we lost a lot of men. Eadie and Young were both missing when the rest of the Co. got back in the trench. There is very little doubt that they were both killed.'

Sixth statement, 1026/4430 Sapper L.V. PENNY, 8th Field Company Engineers, returned to Australia, 10 September 1917: The last I saw of Casualty was on the 19th July, 1916, at Fleurbaix, when he sat down in the enemy's trenches after arriving there saying he was too tired to move. Casualty may be a prisoner of war.'
Note on file: 'No trace Germany[.] Cert. by Capt. Mills. 10.10.19.'

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Report ('Exhumations'), Graves Registration Units, 30 April 1921, noted in relation to EADIE, 4557 J. REEVES, and 1153 R.D. WARD, 'actual Grave unknown'.

Letter, Base Records to son ('Master Eadie'), 7 June 1921: '[T]he Imperial War Graves Commission have decided to erect a collective cross over Graves 53, 54 and 55, Row C, Plot 2 ... as it has been established beyond doubt that they are buried in those three graves; unfortunately it has not been possible to distinguish the actual graves.'

Contributed to by PAX & War Graves