Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Excerpt from Blood Sweat and Fears: Medical Practitioners and Medical Students of South Australian who Served in World War 1. Courtesy of the Authors

Edwin Charles East was born on the 24th June 1881 in King’s Norton, Worcestershire, fourth of the five sons of a builder, Edward James East, and his wife Elizabeth, nee Main.  East started work as a dispenser, and then progressed to medical school. After obtaining his licence, he worked in the Queen’s Hospital in Birmingham until he was able to sit for the FRCS Edinburgh examination in 1913. Having passed the examination he looked for a wider horizon, and migrated to Australia.  He and his wife Beatrice were fined 1/- (20 cents) and costs of 16/-($1.60) by the Gawler SM for failing to enrol in accordance with the Commonwealth Electoral Act. He was in a practice in North Adelaide, South Australia in 1914.

East was commissioned in May 1915 and allotted to 1 AGH Reinforcements.  He was 34 years old, married with his wife was named as his next of kin, care of JH Bennett, Daly St, Gawler, He was 5ft 8ins, and weighed 146lbs. He sailed from Melbourne for Egypt in June 1915. In December he was posted to 2 ASH at West Mudros, but his time with this unit was brief. Back in Egypt in January 1916 he was transferred to 1 ACCS, which left for France in March. The unit opened at Estaires in support of I ANZAC Corps. It played no part in the management of casualties after the Battle of Fromelles, and spent the year largely in expansion and consolidation. East was recalled to England in October, and posted for several months to 3 AAH at Dartford. He returned to Australia at his own request in February 1917 with his appointment terminated on the 28th April 1917. He settled in Fremantle, Western Australia.  He was issued with the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

East took over the practice of Dr Landon in Perth Western Australia. He was appointed as an HMO at the Fremantle Hospital from 1917-1941, initially as a General Practitioner who acted as a surgeon and physician. He was always available for Residents to leave the Hospital premises and later a member of the Board. In 1922 East volunteered for the RANR and was appointed a surgeon lieutenant. He served until 1926, when he was placed on the Retired List. He purchased Woodside Hospital, 18 Dalgety St, East Fremantle for £3,000 in December 1926. It was built as a home in 1896 by the Hon William Dalgety Moore MLC (1835-1910), and converted to a private hospital in 1924. It continued to operate as such until 1945, and is now Heritage Listed.  East also built Haslam House (since demolished) in Queen St, Perth which became the site of Brands Department Store. He was prominent in the social and sporting life of the community as a senior member of the management committees of the Fremantle Public Hospital Board, the Royal Fremantle Club, the Fremantle Association, the Fremantle Club and the Fremantle Tennis Club. Edwin Charles East died in Fremantle in 1961. He was survived by his 3 children, June, Vaughn and John.