Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

BELOVED BY ALL

Alfred Robert Edlington was born on 17 August 1897 at Mount Gambier to George and Mercy Edlington. He attended school at Wandilo before being enrolled at Mount Gambier High School on 25 January 1911 by his father, George Edlington, farmer, of Wandilo. He left the school on 19 December 1913. He had served 4 years with the senior cadets and subsequently 1 year with the 74th Battalion Commonwealth Military Forces, still serving at the time of enlistment. A Mount Gambier Public School Journal entry dated 29 August 1916 (where he had been working as an assistant teacher) mentioned that Mr Edlington had ‘volunteered for the front today, had undergone a medical examination and pronounced fit to serve in the AIF, and was to report to Adelaide in two weeks’. Another entry dated 6 September 1916 reported that Mr Edlington had been entertained by the school’s teachers at afternoon tea and was presented with an ‘auto-strop razor’ by the teachers and a money belt by the Grade IV class and socks by the girls. On 8 September he visited the school to say farewell, and left for camp by train that evening. He enlisted (19, school teacher, single, Church of England) in Adelaide on 11 September 1916, naming his mother, Mercy Edlington of Mount Gambier as his next of kin.

He embarked on the ‘Miltiades’ from Adelaide on 24 January 1917 as a private attached to the 19th Reinforcements to the 27th Battalion, disembarked at Devonport in England on 27 March 1917, and was attached to the 7th Training Battalion, Rollestone. He attended a course of instruction at the Army Signal School, Dunstable, from 25 October to 26 December and qualified as an assistant instructor of signalling.

He was sent overseas to France on 5 February 1918 and joined the 28th Battalion on 9 February when the letter ‘A’ was added to his regimental number. He was wounded in action (shrapnel wound and compound fracture of the leg) during a major attack by the brigade on 11 August 1918 and died later the same day while being evacuated by the 7th Australian Field Ambulance. A letter from Lieutenant Arthur Ferdinand Walters of the 28th Battalion to Edlington’s parents regarding the circumstances leading to his death stated:

On the morning of the 11th we were attacking, and I got word that several signallers had been wounded. Your son and another signaller named Holland started off to take the places of the wounded men, but were themselves caught by a shell before reaching the company. Holland was only slightly wounded, but your son was severely wounded in the leg and arm.

Originally buried Lamotte en Santerre Communal Cemetery Extension, his remains were later exhumed and re-interred in the nearby Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, Villers- Bretonneux, Picardie, France.

The Mount Gambier Public School Journal contains an entry dated 28 August 1918 which mentions that news had been received of Edlington’s death in France and that the flag was flown at half-mast as a sign of respect.

The Mount Gambier Public School Journal contains the following entries about him, reminders of the ongoing impact the war was having on the school community:

·       29 August 1916 Mr Edlington volunteered for the front today. He was medically examined and pronounced fit. Top report to Adelaide in 2 weeks. I reported to Director.

·       6 September 1916 Mr Edlington entertained by teachers at afternoon tea, presented with auto-strop razor by teachers, money belt by Grade IV, socks by girls.

·       8 September 1916 Mr Edlington visited school to say farewell – left by train in the evening for camp.

·       29 August 1918 Received news of Private A.R. Edlington’s death in action in France. Flew flag at half-mast.

Published in Ours: the origins and early years of Mount Gambier High School and Old Scholars who served in the Great European War by Graeme Roulstone

Alfred Edlington served 4 years in Cadets and 1 year in Citizens Forces.

Alfred trained at Army Signalling School at Dunstable, England.