Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Edgar Catley Curtin was born in Norwood, Adelaide, South Australia on the 4th of May 1890. Growing up his home address was Glynde Street Norwood. He lived in Norwood until enlistment. Edgar was of the Protestant faith and his occupation was a painter. On the 4th of February 1915 he decided to enlist for the war. At the time of enlistment Edgar Catley Curtin was 24 years and 8 months old. He was not married and had no experience in the military. Physical descriptions of Edgar on the 4th of February 1915 were that he was 137lbs (62kg), his height was 5 foot 5 ½ inches (152.40cm) had a chest measurement of 34.36 inches (87.2744cm). He green eyes and his skin and hair colour was fair (white), and his next to kin was his mother Mrs Rose Jane Curtin.
Curtin had two brothers and a cousin who also fought in the war. His brother Allan Curtin fought in the 27th Battalion and was killed in action on the 8th of August 1918. His other brother Frank Norman Curtin fought in the 32nd Battalion and was killed in action on the 20th of July 1916. Edgar’s cousin Herbert John Kemp fought in the 11th Battalion and was also killed in action on the 9th of April 1917.

Two and a half months after enlisting Edgar Curtin left Australia on the MAT A20 Hororata on 20 April 1915. Leaving from Port Adelaide Edgar was headed to Egypt with the 15th training battalion. Prior to Edgar’s Departure from Australia, a move was made on the 3rd of December 1914 to change the location of the training camps to Egypt. The training camps were originally in England. Cold winters and overcrowding were some key factors why they got moved to Egypt. On the 18th of May Curtin and the rest of his training battalion landed in Port Tewfik (Suez) and then travelled to Cairo where he was trained to become a solider. Curtin would spend from 18th of May to the 8th of June 1915 training until he was taken on strength in the 10th Battalion at the Gallipoli Peninsula.
The 10th battalion battled in Gallipoli with the thousands of other Anzacs and British. The 10th battalion was believed to be good at defending and attacking the front line. During his campaign on the 18th of September, he was admitted to hospital because of contracting influenza. He then travelled to the St Davies hospital in Malta on the 22nd of September 1915 for further treatment. On the 29th of October 1915 he was released from hospital in Mudros. On the 7th of January 1916 he returned to base at Mudros after the withdrawal from Gallipoli. The 10th Battalion returned to Egypt and sailed for the Western Front and France in March 1916.

On the 17th of August 1916 he contracted tonsillitis. Then on the 27th of August 1916 Curtin marched in from hospital to Larkhill England with the 26th camp. After a short stop in Larkhill Curtin headed to the Western front (France) On the 2nd of September 1916. On the 9th of September Curtin arrived in France and then on the 23rd of September 1916 Curtin marched out into battle. Curtin then got transferred to the 59th battalion on the 30th of September 1916.
The 59th battalion was raised on the 21st of February 1916. On the 19th of July 1916, the 59th Battalion encountered its first ever battle at the Western Front, known as The Battle of Fromelles. This battle was a disaster for the 59th battalion and the Anzacs. There were many causalities because of the German machine-gunners.

Following the winter of 1916-17 the 59th battalion advanced following the German retreat to the Hindenberg Line. Russia collapsed in October 1917. Later in the year the AIF switched to the YPRES sector in Belgium.
Curtin was promoted Corporal on the 5th of January 1917 as the sergeant corporal was sick. On the 23rd of February 1917 he was promoted Sergeant in France. Then on the 27th of April 1917 Curtin went on leave in France most likely in Corbie. He re-joined the battalion on the 18th of May 1917. Curtin developed a medical condition and was admitted to hospital. He was released on the 24th of July 1917 spending 75 days in hospital.

In late March 1918 the 59th Battalion and the 5th Division moved to defend Corbie from the Germans. The 59th Battalion also took part in the heroic counterattack in Villers-Bretonneux on the 25th of April. The 59th Battalion also fought at Amiens on 8 August 1918 when the allies launched their attack and fought at Perrone in the first days of September. The Battalions entered its last battle on the 29th of September 1918. The 5th and 3rd Divisions along with American forces were trying to break through the German defence at St Quentin Canal and on the 10th of October they successfully beat the opponents.

Curtin was commanded to go to gun school on the 31st of May 1918 in the field, he re-joined on the 22nd of June 1918. On the 1st of October 1918 he was promoted by the Sergeant as the Lieutenant number 391. On the 1st October 1918 he was wounded by gassing while in action, he came back duty on the 15th and then one day later he got gassed again, no significant injuries such as loss sight and loss of hearing were received.
On the 2nd of October 1918 the battalion withdrew to rest and continued to do so when the war ended on the 24th of March 1919.
Curtin returned home from war on the 28th of March 1919 near Port Macquarie.

After the war Edgar became a lawyer, he fought in many cases and one of them was appearing for the prosecution of Mr Thomas who refused to enlist for the war. Curtin also fought in WW2 from the 16th July 1941 to the 20th December 1944. His wife at the time Mary Evelyn Curtin brought him to court on the ground of desertion. He got married to Roma and stayed married until his death on the 13th of November 1969.