MORGAN, Edward
| Service Number: | 6690 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 20 December 1915, Sydney, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Sapper |
| Last Unit: | 7th Field Company Engineers |
| Born: | Rushcutters Bay, New South Wales, Australia, 9 April 1886 |
| Home Town: | Campsie, Canterbury, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Balmain Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Boilermaker |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 14 November 1916, aged 30 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 20 Dec 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 6690, Sydney, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Mar 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sapper, 6690, 7th Field Company Engineers, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Orsova embarkation_ship_number: A67 public_note: '' | |
| 11 Mar 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Sapper, 6690, 7th Field Company Engineers, HMAT Orsova, Sydney | |
| 14 Nov 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sapper, 6690, 7th Field Company Engineers, 'The Winter Offensive' - Flers/Gueudecourt winter of 1916/17, Killed in Action near Flers, France at 'The Maze'. |
Help us honour Edward Morgan's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Michael Silver
6690 Sapper Edward Morgan, 7th Field Company AIF was most probably killed near “The Maze” on 14 November 1916. His service record notes that his body was found by members of the 3rd Battalion AIF on 17 March 1917 and he was buried at “The Maze”.
His widow Kathleen advised Base Records in Melbourne that the inscription on his headstone should read – ‘In a Hero’s Grave He Lies’. Sadly, his original grave at “The Maze” has never been found.
Biography contributed by John Oakes
Edward G MORGAN (Service Number 6690) was born on 9th April 1886 at Woollahra. He first worked for the NSW Government Railways as a boilermakers’ helper in the locomotive workshops at Eveleigh from 14th February 1908. He remained in that same role until he was released from duty to join the Expeditionary Forces on 27th December 1915. He enlisted at Sydney on 4th January 1916 He was married to Kathleen and she was nominated as his next of kin.
He was allotted to the 4th Reinforcements to the 7th Field Company of Engineers, Morgan embarked HMAT ‘Orsova’ in Sydney on 11th March 1916. The ship reached Alexandria (Egypt) on 14th April and he disembarked to join miscellaneous reinforcements at Tel-el-Kebir. On 10th May he passed through Alexandria for passage to the Western Front in France through Marseilles, where he passed on 18th May. He was taken on the strength of the 7th Field Company of Engineers as a Sapper on 3rd July 1916.
In August he was admitted to the 5th Australian Field Ambulance with dysentery, but he quickly recovered. A few days later he fell foul of military discipline and was charged with the ‘CRIME – Conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline – Throwing an apple on parade’. For this he was punished by the forfeiture of three days’ pay.
Morgan was killed in action on 14th November 1916. Sapper H Gray (6671) reported:
‘Sapper William Brown – since killed – told me he was with Morgan when he was shot through the heart by M.G. bullet in No Man’s Land and died instantaneously. There was no time to bury him.’
Pte J Lees stated:
‘He was buried between Gueudecourt and Flers and I have seen his grave on the field at the head of which a cross has been placed.’
While E Gray’s (6671) observation was that:
‘We called him “Teddie”. He came from Newtown N.S.W. He used to be in the Railway Workshops there. He belonged to the 4th. Reinf., and just joined the Battalion at Armentières. He was killed by M.G. bullet, and died instantly. It happened during the “stunt” on Somme Nov.14th. He was not buried.’
According to paper records he was buried at the Maze, Sheet 57 C.S.W.M 18 by 3rd Bn A.I.F. There is a report that the grave was found by members of his unit on 15th May 1917, and that a cross was erected. Apparently, these map co-ordinates were insufficient to relocate the site and Morgan now has no known grave. He is remembered on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial in France.
When in December 1920 Kathleen Morgan was asked for an inscription she chose:
‘In a Hero’s grave He Lies. Inscribed by his loving wife and children’
The second sentence is deleted. Perhaps the epitaph was too long – it is 67 characters, one more than the regulation 66.
There is no record of the number or names of their children.
- based on the Australian WarMemorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.
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