John EDWARDS

EDWARDS, John

Service Number: 4776
Enlisted: 14 July 1915
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 5th Pioneer Battalion
Born: Narrandera, New South Wales, Australia, 1893
Home Town: Yarrawonga, Moira, Victoria
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Wheelwright
Died: Killed in action, France, 14 November 1916
Cemetery: Longueval Road Cemetery, France
Row I, Grave No. 9 Name on Yarrawonga War Memorial
Memorials:
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World War 1 Service

14 Jul 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4776, 6th Infantry Battalion
7 Mar 1916: Involvement Private, 4776, 6th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Wiltshire embarkation_ship_number: A18 public_note: ''
7 Mar 1916: Embarked Private, 4776, 6th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Wiltshire, Melbourne
16 Apr 1916: Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 5th Pioneer Battalion

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Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks

John Edwards was the son of John and Catherine Edwards who were living in North Melbourne when he enlisted.

Private John Edwards, who gave his place of association as Yarrawonga, Victoria, was killed in action by a shell near Longueval in France. He was working on a road with the 5th Pioneer Battalion when a shell struck, killing him and another soldier, James McGrath, of the same unit. They are buried side by side in the Longueval Cemetery.

The battalion diary has a one line entry for the date of 14 November 1916. "2 men killed by shell HE hitting drain on side of road."

John Edwards’s father and brother also served in the AIF. The father, 1417 Pte. John Edwards 15th Battalion, actually enlisted in Yarrawonga at the given age of 44, and served at the Landing on Gallipoli.

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