BRENNAN, Edward John
| Service Number: | 1020 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 24 May 1915, Busselton, WA |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 28th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Bussleton, Western Australia, Australia, 1889 |
| Home Town: | Busselton, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Karridale State School, Western Australia |
| Occupation: | Sleeper Hewer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Pozieres, Somme Sector, France, 29 July 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux, Departement de la Somme, Picardie, France, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Augusta War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Postmaster General's Department Perth WWI HR, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 24 May 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1020, 28th Infantry Battalion, Busselton, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Jun 1915: | Involvement Private, 1020, 28th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '16' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Ascanius embarkation_ship_number: A11 public_note: '' | |
| 29 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 1020, 28th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ascanius, Fremantle | |
| 4 Sep 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1020, 28th Infantry Battalion, 'C' Coy per HT Ivernia for Gallipoli | |
| 19 Oct 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 1020, 28th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , 2 August 1916 - reported Missing 19 October 1916 - reported Wounded and Missing 4 January 1917 - Court of Inquiry pronounced KIA in France |
Help us honour Edward John Brennan's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Chris Buckley
Edward was the fourth of eight children of John Brennan (born 1845 in Vasse, WA) and Catherine (Kate) Dawson (Born 1857 in Vasse, WA). John and Kate married in 1879 in Busselton, WA and raised their family in the Vasse Region of WA.
Edward was a Sleeper Hewer in Busselton, WA when he enlisted in the AIF in 1915. He served as a Private (Service No: 1020) with 'C' Coy 28th Infantry Battalion and embarked fro Fremantle on 29 June 1915 on board HMAT Ascanus, bound for Gallipoli. On 4 October 1915 he embarked for France on board HT Iverna.
Edward was reported MIA on 2 August 1916 and was reported as Wounded and Missing. According to the Court of Inquiry (Australian Red Cross Society Wounded and Missing Enquiry Burea Files 194 - 18 War) 'Private Dwkins reported this man was seen by me to be killed on the night of the 28th of July at Pozieres, Somme, France'.
According to another statement ' Informant states that on July 29th 1916 at about 10.30 am at Pozieres he was in the same shell hole as Informant and both his legs were blown off by the same shell that hit Informant. He never left the shell hole and he most probably died there from loss of blood'.
Private Devine #54 told the Court of Inquiry 'On July 25th at Pozieres at about 11.30pm, while we were lying outside for half an hour just before attacking, and were being bombarded, a shell exploded and wounded Brennan. Brennan started making his way back as best he could, and was helped by Sgt Jone sof A.11, who could give more definite information. Sgt Jones told me that Brennan's wound was very serious'.
On 24 November 1917, the Agence Internationale des Prisonniers de Guerre reported that Private Brennan was a PoW at Cassel in Germany.
Edward's brothers also served in WWI - Peter (Service no: 15146); George Henry (Service No: 3487); and James Vincent (Service No: 3024). Youngest brother Matthew served with the ACMF in WWII (Service No: 83925), and nephew Vincent Sydney Brennan served with 2/3 Field Regiment as a Driver (Service No: WX71). Vincent was captured in Crete in 1941 and was a PoW at Stalag VII in Moosberg, Germany.
Biography contributed by Faithe Jones
Parents: John and Catherine (nee Dawson) BRENNAN, Augusta, W.A.
Brother of James Vincent Brennan, Died of wounds in France 11 August 1918, Peter Brennan, RTA 15 Sept 1919, George Henry Brennan, RTA 11 May 1916
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