Edward Ernest CURSON MM

CURSON, Edward Ernest

Service Number: 1706
Enlisted: 18 August 1915, Holsworthy, New South Wales
Last Rank: Sergeant
Last Unit: 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1)
Born: Rockland St Peter, Attleborough, England, 1896
Home Town: Edgecliff, Sydney, New South Wales
Schooling: Attleborough Public School, England
Occupation: Labourer/Groom
Died: Killed in Action, Belgium, 7 June 1917
Cemetery: No known grave - "Known Unto God"
Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient)
Show Relationships

World War 1 Service

18 Aug 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1706, Holsworthy, New South Wales
17 Dec 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1706, 30th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '16' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Berrima embarkation_ship_number: A35 public_note: ''
17 Dec 1915: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1706, 30th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Berrima, Sydney
10 Aug 1916: Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1)
29 Oct 1916: Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1)
4 Mar 1917: Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1)
7 Jun 1917: Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 1706, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Battle of Messines, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1706 awm_unit: 45 Battalion awm_rank: Sergeant awm_died_date: 1917-06-07

Edward Ernest Curson

Sergeant 1706 Edward Ernest Curson was born in Rocklands c1896 and was educated at the Public School in Attleborough. He left for Australia with his family at the age of 17 and was working as a House Boy / Labourer. He enlisted in the 45th Battalion Australian Imperial Forces in Holdsworthy, New South Wales Australia, on 2nd September 1915, embarking on HMAT Berrima from Sydney on 17th December 1915 for Suez where he arrived on 23rd January 1916. Here he was admitted to hospital suffering from mumps. After recovering he departed Alexandria on 2nd June 1916 aboard ‘Kinfauna Castle’, arriving in Marseilles six days later. He served in France and Flanders and was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry in the trenches in early August 1916, after which he was promoted to Lance Corporal and subsequently to Temporary Corporal. He was promoted to Corporal on 29th October 1916, four days after receiving his Military Medal in the field, and later to Sergeant on 3rd December 1916. He was killed in action by a shell in front of Owl Trench at Messines on the afternoon of 7th June 1917 aged 21. He is remembered on the Ypres Menin Gate Memorial Panel 7 - 17 - 23 - 25 - 27 - 29 - 31 and on the Rockland St Peter War Memorial. He was the son of William and Ellen Curson, of "Edgecombe," Telegraph Road, Pymble, New South Wales and a native of Rockland St. Peter, Attleborough, England. He was known as Teddy by many of the soldiers who submitted evidence to the Court of Enquiry into his death held on 7th December 1917. At the time of the 1911 Census Edward was a stable helper, aged 15, living in the household of his parents, William, a domestic groom, aged 44 and Ellen, aged 50, along with his sister Bessie aged 11.

Read more...
Showing 1 of 1 story

Biography contributed by Leila Muller

Awarded the Military Medal (www.awm.gov.au): For meritorious services and devotion to duty near Pozieres from August 5th to 6th 1916. During most of that period the trenches were subjected to a very heavy bombardment. When his section commander was killed, he acted on his own initiative and took charge and superintende the repairing of the damaged trenches. By his courage and cheerfulness he got the utmost out of his men.

Read more...