Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Biography for PTE Oswald Theodore Goldstein/Emery

Service number- 2701

Oswald Theodore Goldstein was born at Springsure, Queensland, Australia on the 13th of February 1896 to Oswald Theodore Robert Goldstein and Phoebe Emery. Before the war Oswald Theodore Golstein was a young man wanting to become an engineer before being thrown into the first ever world war.(1) Goldstein’s family later moved to Waterloo in New South Wales with the young man attending prestigious educational facilities such as Technical Day School from 1909 to 1911, now known as Sydney Technical High School and Sydney Technical College from 1912 to pursue the career of an engineer.(2) Goldstein was known to be a religious man who often attended St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church and was commended by a elder of the church named B.Bowles who wrote: “I have known Mr. Goldstein for a few years now, and he has always shown himself to be a good, honest and trustworthy person. He has been a member of St. Luke's Presbyterian Church ever since a boy. I, being an Elder of the same church, have been able to watch him.” Though after working at Marcus Clark and Standard Waygood as an engineer he was sent off to war in 1917 leaving behind his profession, mother and father. (3)

On December 13th 1917 Oswald Theodore Goldstein applied to be a mechanical engineer in the Imperial Force, later getting provisionally accepted on the 11th of January 1918 to be an engineer in the Australian Flying Corps and swiftly taken from the engineers depot in Moore Park.(4) Goldstein was deployed under the No.2 Squadron in England in which his main job was to inspect and maintain aircrafts as aircraft reliability was essential for reconnaissance and combat missions, therefore engineers like Goldstein were pivotal in ensuring pilots had a safe and functional equipment.(5) Goldstein in his time in the war had no offences which reflected on the comments by his previous employers stating that he was a good man and trustworthy. (6) “I J.H. Crewes, certify that I have known O.T. Goldstein for a period of several years and believe him to be a loyal subject and trustworthy.” - J.H. Crewes.  During his time repairing aircrafts Goldstein tragically suffered an injury to the head by a heavy piece of machinery. Goldstein spent time later in the Rechabite Friendly Society which provided help for soldiers and the local community. Goldstein was later released from England for demobilisation as the war had ended.(7)

After a valiant war effort protecting his country and the Motherland of England, he arrived back to Sydney on the 6th of May 1919.(7) Goldstein began working as a contractor for the electric light supply of Macksville, hiring many employees including his own brother. Later in 1920 Goldstein changed his legal name to his mothers maiden name which was Emery, making his new full legal name Oswald Theodore Emery. (8) 6 years later Emery was happily married to a woman named Lorna Doris Jobson on the 11th of December in 1926 where the bride was given by the bridegroom a shower bouquet and a st diamond ring.(9) Unfortunately a year later Emery died on the 26th of March 1927 where one of his former employees found him suffering from a concussion on the 25th. Emery was taken to a hospital and was found with 2 abrasions on the scalp and sadly died on the 26th.(10) His former employee Malcom Ernest Barr stated: “died suddenly at about 8 o'clock p.m. In my opinion, death was due to sudden blockage of the left coronary artery of the heart, due to the lodging there of an embolism.” However perhaps the injuries to the head he sustained by the heavy machinery during his time at war caused his untimely demise.(11)

Oswald Theodore Goldstein was a good man who fought for his country through his gifts of engineering. He heavily supported the No. 2 Squadron in the Australian Flying Corp through inspecting and repairing aircrafts, which aided in the entire war effort. (12) Tragically Oswald Theodore Goldstein could not live past 31 and will always be remembered as a war hero.(13)

References:

1. Virtual War Memorial 

https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/193966

2. AIF project 

https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=113466 

3. National Archive of Australia  https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=4770727&isAv=N 

4. Ibid

5. Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51017 

7. National Archive of Australia  https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=4770727&isAv=N 

8. Ibid

9. Ibid

10. Google drive by Ken Stevenson https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1sOkHk4LgD18a7u1H5Ed8Zt95aHUhT0Mi

11. National Archive of Australia https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=4770727&isAv=N 

12. Australian War memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51017

13. Sydney Technical High School https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/2237 

Bibliography

https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/193966

https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=113466

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=4770727&isAv=N

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51017

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1sOkHk4LgD18a7u1H5Ed8Zt95aHUhT0Mi

https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/2237