EDWARDS, Arthur Louis
| Service Number: | 282 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Balmain, New South Wales, Australia, 20 August 1886 |
| Home Town: | Armidale, Armidale Dumaresq, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Railway porter |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Gallipoli, Turkey, 26 April 1915, aged 28 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey |
| Memorials: | Armidale Memorial Fountain, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Lone Pine Memorial to the Missing |
World War 1 Service
| 18 Oct 1914: | Involvement Private, 282, 2nd Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Suffolk embarkation_ship_number: A23 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Oct 1914: | Embarked Private, 282, 2nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Suffolk, Sydney |
Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
Arthur Louis Smallwood EDWARDS, (Service Number 282) was born in Balmain on 20 August 1886. At the end of 1909 he joined the Traffic Branch of the NSW Railways as a porter in the Murrurundi district. He was still in that position when on 18 August 1914 he was released to join the Expeditionary Forces. He was unmarried and gave his mother, who lived in Armidale, as his next of kin.
When the unit arrived at Gallipoli he was ordered not to dis-embark from the transport. He was missed later during the day and nothing further was heard of him.
No. 283 Private Woodward who was returned to Australia reported that he (Edwards) had been killed in action on 26 April. It would seem that Edwards did not accept the role he was given away from the fighting on a ship off shore and re-joined the 2nd Battalion without authority as they landed on Anzac Day. No further knowledge of his grave was ever found.
Submitted 26 June 2023 by John Oakes
Biography contributed by John Oakes
Arthur Louis Smallwood EDWARDS (Service Number 282) was born in Balmain on 20th August 1886. At the end of 1909 he joined the Traffic Branch of the NSW Railways as a porter in the Murrurundi district. He was still in that position on 18th August 1914 when he was released to join the Expeditionary Forces. He was unmarried. He gave his mother, who lived in Armidale, as his next of kin.
He left Australia on 18th October on HMAT A23, ‘Suffolk’. He was temporarily attached to 1st Infantry Brigade Headquarters. When that unit arrived at Gallipoli he was ordered not to dis-embark from the transport. He was missed later during the day and nothing further was heard of him.
No. 283 Private Woodward who was returned to Australia reported that he (Edwards) had been killed in action on 26th April. It would seem that Edwards did not accept the role he was given away from the fighting on a ship off shore and re-joined the 2nd Battalion without authority as they landed on Anzac Day. No further knowledge of his grave was ever found, and he is memorialised at Lone Pine.
The lack of any knowledge of his fate caused much distress to his mother and she petitioned authorities seeking answers.
- based on notes for the Great Sydney Central Honour Board