Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Edward was the son of Timothy Augustus BANNAN & Elizabeth MORGAN and was born in 1892 in Carlton, VIC.

It is not known why but Edward appears to have changed his surname To BANNON, he was born BANNAN.

His parents were married in 1891 in Victoria.

His father was the son of Edward J BANNAN & Isabella RAE and was born in 1864 in Melbourne, VIC.
His mother was the daughter of John MORGAN & Elizabeth BURT and was born on the 28th of August 1867 in Malmsbury, VIC.

Edward was the eldest child born into this family of 9 children.

His father was a carpenter and by 1894 they were renting a little home at 92 Newry Street, Fitzroy from Mr James Stringer.

By 1906 the family had moved to 96 Freeman Street, Fitzroy and then by 1909 they had moved to 112 Rae Street, North Fitzroy.

Sadly his little sister Florence died on the 18th of May 1911 in the Queen’s Memorial Hospital, aged 5 years and they buried her in the Carlton North Cemetery.

Edward became very friendly with Miss Lilian Violet HILLS, who lived a few houses down from him at number 123 Rae Street.
Lilian became pregnant and gave birth to an illegitimate daughter; Myrtle May HILLS on the 13th of April 1912.
Lilian was the daughter of Alfred Charles HILLS & Ellen Maria MAYFIELD and was born on the 25th of June 1891 in Collingwood, VIC.

Edward and Lilian never married and on a few occasions a warrant was issued for Edward’s arrest for not paying maintenance.

At the age of 22, Edward enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 14th of September 1915 in Melbourne and allotted the service number 3457 and posted to the 23rd Depot Battalion in Royal Park. He was transferred to the 23rd Battalion, 8th Reinforcements in Broadmeadows.

Edward embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT A19 Afric on the 5th of January 1916, disembarking in Alexandria.

His brother Frederick enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 4th of December 1916 and allotted the service number 34459 and posted to the 1st Field Artillery Brigade.

Frederick embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT A11 Ascanius on the 11th of May 1917.

After more than 3 years overseas Edward embarked from Devonport on board HMAT Takada on the 18th of July 1919, disembarking in Melbourne on the 7th of September.

Edward was discharged from the AIF on the 12th of December 1919.

He returned to live with his parents at 112 Rae Street, North Fitzroy, Melbourne and resumed his employment as a baker.

By 1933 Edward moved to Naracoorte, SA and gained employment with Mr. George Wotton, landlord of the Naracoorte Hotel.
When Mr Wotton relinquished the Naracoorte Hotel in 1937 and Mr John Liddy took it over, Edward remained employed at the hotel.

He was a member of the local R.A.O.B Lodge, and had gained the respect and goodwill of all who knew him.

In May 1941 Edward contracted Pneumonia and was admitted into the Naracoorte Hospital.

He never recovered from Pneumonia and died in the Naracoorte Hospital on Sunday the 22nd of June 1941.

His funeral was held in the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Naracoorte the following morning and the Rev. Father M. Bayard officiated at the graveside.
The service was followed by the R.A.O.B. Lodge service, conducted by Acting Chaplain W. Simpson.
Messrs. Platt Bros, carried out the mortuary arrangements and the pallbearers were Messrs. Max Brown and W. S. Thomson (R.S.A.), and G. Wotton and L. H. Grove (R.A.O.B.).

Edward was buried in the Naracoorte Cemetery; Old Section, Plot 696.

He never married.

Military

At the age of 22, Edward enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 14th of September 1915 in Melbourne and allotted the service number 3457 and posted to the 23rd Depot Battalion in Royal Park.
He listed his father, of 112 Rae Street, North Fitzroy, Melbourne, as his next of kin.

On the 9th of November he was transferred to the 5th Depot Battalion in Seymour and then on the 2nd of December he was transferred to the 23rd Battalion, 8th Reinforcements in Broadmeadows.

Edward embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT A19 Afric on the 5th of January 1916, disembarking in Alexandria.
On the 15th of March Edward was transferred to the newly raised 2nd Pioneer Battalion in Moascar, which was Part of the 2nd Division.

The 2nd Pioneer Battalion were trained as infantrymen; they were also tasked with some engineer functions, with a large number of personnel possessing trade qualifications from civilian life.
Their tasks consisted of digging trenches, labouring, constructing strong points and light railways, and undertaking battlefield clearance.

On the 19th of March they embarked from Alexandria on board HMHS Llandovery Castle, disembarking in Marseilles 7 days later and entrained to Sercus.
They marched out to Armentieres on the 5th of April and began digging assembly lines and constructing concrete machine gun pits & shelters.
They then moved to Bois Grenier on the 1st of June and 3 weeks later they moved to Aldershot Camp at Neuve Eglise and relived the 12th Sherwood Foresters.

Here they construction concrete Out Posts in Heath Trench on Hill 63 near Ploegsteert and by the end of July they moved into the front line in Pozieres and relieved the 1st Pioneer Battalion in Sunken Road Trench and improved the trenches and extended them.
They remained here until the end of August and moved into billets in Senlis and then continued their work in the trenches.

By the 1st of November they had moved to Bernafay Wood where they constructed tramlines, cleared tunnels and continued road maintenance.
Christmas 1916 was spent here and then on the 21st of January 1917 Edward suffered from Bronchitis and was admitted into the 6th Australian Field Ambulance for 11 days before rejoining his Battalion at Gordon Huts in Contalmaison, constructing a light railway.

By March they had moved to Warlencourt where they cleared the road to Bapaume and then they moved to Marlborough Huts, east of the Ancre River near Aveluy and commenced work on salvage and trenches on both sides of the river until the end of April.
On the 30th of April they moved to Noreuil and cut a communication trench along Sunken Road before moving back to Gordon Camp on the 9th of May.
Three days later Edward was transferred to the 5th Army Rest Camp in St Valery, Sur.Somme for a 2 week rest.

He then rejoined his Battalion and they spent July completing drainage in Hot Cross Camps near Thilloy before moving to Arques in early August to constructing trenches.
Three weeks later they moved to La Sabloniere and then to Campagne and by the 7th of September they were in the Ypres area constructing plank roads at the rear of Bellewaarde Ridge. They were also in charge of guarding the 2nd Australian Division Prisoners Cage.

On the 2nd of October Edward suffered from Orchitis and was admitted into the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance at Wippenhoek and then transferred to the 3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station and onto the 56th General Hospital in Etaples on the 8th of October.
He was invalided to England on the 11th and admitted into the 1st Birmingham War Hospital. After 2 months he was discharged to 2 weeks furlo on the 10th of December and then reported to No.1 Command Depot in Sutton Veny.

Edward spent Christmas 1917 here and was then transferred to the Overseas Training Brigade in Longbridge Deverill on the 6th of February 1918.
He then proceeded back to France on the 4th of March and rejoined his Battalion 5 days later in Nieppem where they were working on roads and dugouts.
By the end of March they moved to Wulverghem and then to the Somme to construct trenches for the Lavieville defence.
Whilst here Edward went AWAOL for 1 day and was awarded 10 days Field Punishment No.2 and forfeited 11 days pay.

In May they were digging the Fire Trench at Daours and in July they were burying a communication cable near Villers-Bretonneux and constructing deep trenches, guarding bridges and roads and erecting wire.
In mid July the Battalion was warned that they were going in for forward work and then on the 20th Edward went AWOL for 3 days.
A General Field Court Martial was held on the 1st of August and Edward was sentenced to 2 years with Hard Labour.

However, on the 25th of August his sentenced was suspended.

By October they had moved into camp at Templeux-le-Gerard and again Edward went AWOL for 2 hours and was awarded 28 days Field Punishment No.2 and forfeited 28 days pay.
They remained here and completed training and then after the Armistice they were reviewed by the King at Maroilles on the 1st of December.
They were then employed in salvage work in the Le Petit Fayt area before moving to billets near Charleroi on the 20th.
Christmas 1918 was spent here and they worked on the Corps Reinforcement Camp and the railway station for the next 5 months.

Edward then suffered from a Venereal Disease and was admitted into the 39th General Hospital in Le Havre on the 12th of May. Five days later he was invalided to England and admitted into the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital in Bulford.
On the 1st of June he was discharged to No.2 Group in Park House awaiting embarkation back to Australia.

Edward embarked from Devonport on board HMAT Takada on the 18th of July 1919 and 5 days later he was admitted into the ships hospital for 4 weeks, suffering from Pyrexia.
Edward disembarked in Melbourne on the 7th of September and was admitted into the 5th Australian General Hospital in Melbourne with Chronic Bronchitis.

Edward was discharged from the AIF on the 12th of December 1919 and awarded the British War & Victory Medals.