EADIE, Alexander McKinley
| Service Numbers: | 839, 4408 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 17 March 1915, Bendigo, Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Sapper |
| Last Unit: | 8th Field Company Engineers |
| Born: | Bendigo, Victoria, Australia, 1872 |
| Home Town: | Golden Square, Greater Bendigo, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Golden Square State School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Tinsmith |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Fromelles, France, 19 July 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
Rue-David Military Cemetery, Fleurbaix Plot III. Row C. Grave 3. |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Bendigo Great War Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 17 Mar 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 839, Depot Battalion (AIF), Bendigo, Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 May 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 839, 21st Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ulysses embarkation_ship_number: A38 public_note: '' | |
| 5 Aug 1915: | Transferred AIF WW1, Sapper, 5th Field Company Engineers, T.O.S. from 21st Infantry Battalion | |
| 3 Sep 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Sapper, 4408, 5th Field Company Engineers, Embarked Alexandria for M.E.F Gallipoli per H.M.T. "Knight Templar" | |
| 13 Sep 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sapper, 4408, 5th Field Company Engineers, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 13 Sep 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Sapper, 4408, 5th Field Company Engineers, Disembarked Gallipoli, Turkey -- H.M.T. "Osmanieh" | |
| 9 Jan 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Sapper, 4408, 5th Field Company Engineers, Disembarked Alexandria, Egypt -- Gallipoli Evacuation ex H.M.T. "Manitou" | |
| 21 Feb 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Sapper, 8th Field Company Engineers, T.O.S. -- 5th Field Coy Engineers re-numbered to 8th Field Company Engineers | |
| 31 Mar 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sapper, 4408, 8th Field Company Engineers, Admitted -- No. 1 Australian Stationary Hospital -- Sore Feet -- Ismailia, Egypt | |
| 31 Mar 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sapper, 4408, 8th Field Company Engineers, Transferred -- Admitted -- 15th Australian Field Ambulance -- Sore Feet -- Ismailia, Egypt | |
| 17 Jun 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Sapper, 4408, 8th Field Company Engineers, Embarked Alexandria for B.E.F per H.M.T. "Manitou" | |
| 25 Jun 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Sapper, 4408, 8th Field Company Engineers, Disembarked Marseilles, France | |
| 19 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sapper, 4408, 8th Field Company Engineers, Fromelles (Fleurbaix), Killed In Action | |
| 19 Jul 1916: | Involvement Sapper, 4408, 8th Field Company Engineers, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 4408 awm_unit: 8th Field Company, Australian Engineers awm_rank: Sapper awm_died_date: 1916-07-19 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by michelle borserio
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
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