Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Edward Charles Dann was born 10 July 1896 in Dapto, NSW. At the turn of the century his parents moved the family north, to Lismore on the far north coast of NSW.

Edward was the only son who would reach enlistment age. He enlisted on 17 September 1915. His Service Record indicates he was 5’4” (163cms) tall, weighed 8 st. 12 ½ lbs (56kgs), had a dark complexion, with grey eyes and brown hair.

Training was at the Ennogera Base in Brisbane. Edward became part of the 10th reinforcement of 25th Battalion. This Battalion was part of the 7th Brigade and 2nd Division. He left Australia on 28 March 1916 via HMAT “Commonwealth” for Alexandria in Egypt. He was here for around three weeks before leaving on 30 May for Marseilles. He arrived in France on 5 June 1916, and then the group would have been transported north by train.

On 2 August 1916, Edward was one of 161 reinforcements who marched into active service, as reported in the 25th Battalion diary. At this time the 25th Battalion was involved in its first battle in France, near Pozières. When he arrived here, Edward might have learnt that just 4 days earlier his cousin, Frank Harvey was reported as "Missing in Action". Frank was part of the 26th Battalion.

After Pozières, the 25th Battalion was transferred to Belgium near Ypres, before returning to the muddy Somme area to be involved in battles near Flers in November 1916. After rest time in December, they resumed the routine of moving forward and back from trenches, as they took their turn to relieve other battalions. In early April, the 25th Battalion had rest and training time.

On 3 May 1917, the Battalion acted in a supporting role in the Second Battle for Bullecourt. CEW Bean’s Official War diary says, “At 8am the 25th(Queensland) Battalion was moved to the left behind the railway embankment, with orders … to attack from there … For 100 yards a slight fold of the ground protected them, but as they emerged from this they were met by withering fire … The advancing troops were pinned in shell-holes, from which, at dusk, they returned after the loss of half their number.”

On the evening of 6 May through evening of 7 May, the 25th Battalion relieved the
27th Battalion in the trenches. On this day the Germans had launched another counter-attack.

It was at this time that Edward was severely wounded by shrapnel. His Service Record reports him at the 3rd Casualty Clearing Station on 7 May but adds he died from wounds received in action. He was only 20 years old.

Included in Edward’s Service Record is a letter relating to a postcard received by his family. The postcard was written on 11 April but had a post office stamp of 12 May 1917.

Was this a glimmer of hope for the family at home? Had there been an error? The family asked for the records to be checked. His death was re-confirmed. It was suggested that the postcard had been handed to someone else to post, but it was then carried around for some time before being posted.

Edward is buried in Grevillers British Cemetery, which is about 25 kilometres south of Arras.

At the bottom of the headstone, the personal inscription, reads:

SAFE IN THE ARMS OF JESUS
PEACE PERFECT PEACE