O'TOOLE, Edward
| Service Numbers: | 2712, 2712 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 13 July 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 50th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Yorkshire, England, date not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | St Peters (SA), Norwood Payneham St Peters, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 28 March 1917, age not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Vaulx Hill Cemetery III B 13 |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, St Peters Heroes War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 13 Jul 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2712, 50th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Oct 1916: | Involvement Private, 2712, 50th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Melbourne embarkation_ship_number: A16 public_note: '' | |
| 23 Oct 1916: | Embarked Private, 2712, 50th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Port Melbourne, Adelaide |
Mothers Well
Edward O’Toole worked on Todmorden Station which is northwest of Oodnadatta in northern South Australia. In 1916 Edward completed a well which is a significant watering point for cattle some 20 kilometers west from the main Todmorden homestead.
On 23rd October 1916 O’Toole enlisted into the army 50th Battalion. On 28th March 2017 he was killed in action in France.
Following O’Toole’s death his mother travelled to Todmorden Station to erect a plaque in her son’s memory. The site remains a major watering point on Todmorden and exists to this day together with the plaque (see Picture). My wife Mary-Anne McMichael (nee Lillecrapp) her family own and run Todmorden and have done since the early 1960’s. My wife and I travelled to northern France in 2018 and found Edward O’Toole’s grave (see picture) Coincidentally my maternal Grandfather William Murray Fowler MC was also in the 50th Battalion.
Chris McMichael June 2025
Submitted 6 June 2025 by Chris McMichael
Click images to start slideshow.