Edwin Francis GLOVER

GLOVER, Edwin Francis

Service Number: 2166
Enlisted: 2 March 1916
Last Rank: Lance Corporal
Last Unit: 19th Infantry Battalion
Born: Donald, Victoria, South Australia, February 1896
Home Town: Parkes, Parkes, New South Wales
Schooling: State School, Victoria, South Australia
Occupation: Farmer
Died: Killed in Action, France, 3 May 1917
Cemetery: No known grave - "Known Unto God"
Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Parkes & District Cenotaph, Parkes District Roll of Honor, Parkes Remembrance Walk, Trundle WWI Roll of Honour, Trundle War Memorial School of Arts, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France)
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World War 1 Service

2 Mar 1916: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2166, 53rd Infantry Battalion
11 Jul 1916: Involvement Private, 2166, 53rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Vestalia embarkation_ship_number: A44 public_note: ''
11 Jul 1916: Embarked Private, 2166, 53rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Vestalia, Sydney
3 Dec 1916: Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 19th Infantry Battalion
27 Apr 1917: Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 19th Infantry Battalion
3 May 1917: Involvement Lance Corporal, 2166, 19th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2166 awm_unit: 19 Battalion awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1917-05-03

LCpl Edwin Francis GLOVER

From: In Remembrance: Hungerford and Associated Families in the Great War 1914-1918

LCpl Edwin Francis GLOVER
Regimental Number: 2166
Unit Name: 53rd Australian Infantry Battalion, 4th Reinforcement

Religion: Presbyterian
Occupation: Farmer
Address: 'Rosebank', Bindogundra, Parkes, NSW
Age at Enlistment: 20 years
Enlistment Date and Place: 23 February 1916, Parkes, NSW
Next of Kin: Father, Mr. Edwin Charles Glover, 'Rosebank', Bindogundra, Parkes, NSW
Rank on Enlistment: Private
Embarkation Details: Unit embarked from Sydney, NSW, on board HMAT A44 Vestalia, on 11 July 1916
Rank from Nominal Roll: Lance Corporal
Unit from Nominal Roll: 19th Battalion
Campaigns Served: Western Front
War Service/Promotions: After disembarking at Devonport, Devon, England, 9 September 1916, he proceeded overseas to France, 20 November 1916 per SS Victoria. Taken on Strength, 19th Battalion, in the field, 3 December 1916. Detached to Bomb School, 15 December 1916; rejoined Battalion from detachment. Appointed Lance Corporal, 27 April 1917. Reported missing in action, 3 May 1917, at Bullecourt, France. Proceedings of Court of Enquiry, held in the field, 11 December 1917, pronounced fate as 'Killed in Action, 3 May 1917'. This was the second attack at Bullecourt on the Hindenburg line.
Fate: Killed in action, 3 May 1917
Place of Death: Bullecourt, France
Place of Burial: No known grave. He is commemorated on the Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France, and Parkes, NSW, RSL Roll of Honour.
AWM Panel Number: 83
Medals: British War Medal; Victory Medal. The Victory Medal was received by his father in 1923; Memorial Scroll & King's Message received 17 May 1922 and the Memorial Plaque in October 1922.

Note: Red Cross File No 1170812: No trace Germany. Cert. by Capt. Mills 10/10/19.
Statement, 2283 Pte A.E. CHOY, B Company, 19th Bn (patient, Red Cross Hospital, Christchurch, Hants, England), 6 September 1917: 'I was in our attack on Bullecourt on May 3, 1917, just after we went over the top in the first charge. I saw Glover lying dead. I am sure he was quite dead.'
Letter from Pte. Sam Lander, Belgium 25/9/1917, stretcher-bearer: 'L/Cpl. Glover was a fine fellow and very popular with the boys. He was a well built chap and a very boyish look about him. He was last seen on the 3rd May 1917, but could not say for sure if he was killed. So far his body has not been seen. I am sorry about him but still hope that he is a prisoner of war.'
Edwin's Father wrote to Sir Peter McBride, Agent-General for Victoria, London, 21 November 1917: 'Your kind letter just to hand and I beg to thank Lady McBride and yourself for your kind sympathy[,] also for the trouble you have taken to help me in endeavouring to find out my dear Boy's fate. I will await with intense interest the report of the Stretcher Bearer in question. Somehow I hardly think my Boy was killed as described by Pt[e]. Choy as if he had been so near our own trenches his body must surely have been found and identified by his disc. Pt[e]. Choy's account does not tally with the account written us by my Boy's own Chum, he states on the evening of the 2nd. May they were lying in a sunken road and were to attack at dawn, they were all in excellent spirits. An Officer then placed my son in charge of a small party of rifle grenadiers and his Chum Pt[e]. W. Demprey was placed in a different part of the field with a party of bayonet men, thus they were parted for the first time since joining at Parkes and entering Bathurst Camp. The attack unfortunately failed and Pt[e]. Demprey did not for a day or two worry about his Chum as men were straggling back in two's and three's. However he got worried when Ted did not appear and he questioned every man in the Battalion that knew anything of Ted and only one man had any recollection of seeing him and he had a hazy idea that he saw Ted at the German wire which would mean about 50 yards from Enemy trenches. If Pt[e]. Choy was one of the party of rifle grenadiers under Ted he of course would very likely be right as no doubt in the turmoil of such a battle it is very hard to know who falls or who gets through until it is all over. However I will keep on hoping until I hear definite news. We are in the turmoil of another Referendum here and I am afraid No will win again, I hope not, I cannot understand why so many young fellows hold back.'
(Sources: NAA:-b2455, GLOVER Edwin Francis, Red Cross File No 1170812)
Note: In the letter above the Chum listed as Pt W. Demprey was in fact Lance Corporal William Henry Dempsey, aged 34 years old from Parkes - Reg No 2157. The spelling is incorrect in the letter, but we have copied the letter exactly from the service records.

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