FITZGERALD, Edward Michael
| Service Number: | 736 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 22 August 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 2nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Burwood, New South Wales, Australia, May 1891 |
| Home Town: | Strathfield, Strathfield, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Died: | Wounds, Military Hospital, Boscombe, England, United Kingdom, 21 May 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Bournemouth East Cemetery, Hampshire, England Plot X, Row 3, Grave No. 184, Bournemouth East Cemetery, Bournemouth, Dorset, England, United Kingdom |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Burwood Memorial Arch |
World War 1 Service
| 22 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 736, 2nd Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Oct 1914: | Involvement Private, 736, 2nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Suffolk embarkation_ship_number: A23 public_note: '' | |
| 18 Oct 1914: | Embarked Private, 736, 2nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Suffolk, Sydney | |
| 8 Aug 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 2nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 17 Apr 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 736, 2nd Infantry Battalion, German Withdrawal to Hindenburg Line and Outpost Villages, GSW to left leg | |
| 4 May 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 736, 2nd Infantry Battalion, Bullecourt (Second), GSW to left leg & right arm (left leg amputated) DoW England | |
| 21 May 1917: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 736, 2nd Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 736 awm_unit: 2 Battalion awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1917-05-21 |
Help us honour Edward Michael Fitzgerald's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland
Died on this date – 21st May…… Edward Michael Fitzgerald was born at Burwood, Sydney, NSW in 1891.
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 22nd August, 1914 as a 23 year old, single, Clerk from Strathfield, Sydney, NSW.
Private Fitzgerald was given 8 hours detention & forfeited 2 days’ pay on 6th October, 1914 for Breaking Camp.
On 18th October, 1914 Private Edward Michael Fitzgerald, Service number 736, embarked from Sydney, NSW on HMAT Suffolk (A23) on 18th October, 1914 with the 2nd Infantry Battalion “G” Company & disembarked at Egypt on 8th December, 1914.
He was admitted Forrest Military Hospital, Malta on 31st March, 1915 with Gonorrhoea. He was transferred to Mttarfa, Malta on 19th April, 1915 then transferred to Forrest Malta on 10th May, 1915. Private Fitzgerald was discharged to duty on 27th July, 1915. Total 119 days.
Private Fitzgerald disembarked at Alexandria from Malta on 1st August, 1915 from "Karoa". He embarked from Alexandria on 2nd August, 1915 on "Ionian".
On 13th September, 1915 Private Fitzgerald was sent sick to Hospital at Lemnos. He was admitted to No.2 Australian Stationary Hospital on 13th September, 1915 with Haemorrhoids & was discharged to duty on 23rd September, 1915. Private Fitzgerald rejoined his Unit on 24th September, 1915.
An unofficial memo was sent to Red Cross, Cairo on 19th November, 1915 certifying that Private E. A. Fitzgerald, 736 2 A.I.F. G. Coy, was “with his battalion at the front 15.10.15.” This was in response to a request from Mrs Fitzgerald, 45 Cheltenham, Redmyre Rd, Strathfield, Australia, mother of Private E. M. Fitzgerald – “No news for five months. No trace…”
He disembarked from Huntsgreen at Alexandria on 28th December, 1915 (after evacuation of Gallipoli).
Private Fitzgerald was written up for a Crime on 31st January, 1916 at Tel-el-Kebir – Breaking Camp – absent from Camp from 8.15 am on 24th January, 1916 till 8.30 am on 26th January, 1916. He was awarded 14 days Field Punishment No. 2 & forfeited 3 days’ pay.
He embarked from Alexandria on Invernia on 22nd March, 1916 & disembarked at Marseilles, France on 28th March, 1916.
On 10th May, 1916 Private Fitzgerald was written up for a crime at Steurbaix - Disobedience of Orders on 8th May, 1916. He was awarded 14 days Field Punishment No. 2.
He was written up for a Crime on 12th July, 1916 at Fleurbaix – Obscene Language. He was awarded 7 days confined to Barracks. And again on 14th July, 1916 at Vignacourt –“being in an estaminet during prohibited hours on 12th July, 1916.” He was awarded 3 day’s Field Punishment No. 2.
Private Edward Michael Fitzgerald was appointed Lance Corporal on 8th August, 1916.
He was on leave to United Kingdom from 26th November, 1916 & rejoined his Battalion on 12th December, 1916.
On 14th December, 1916 Lance Corporal Fitzgerald reported sick & was admitted to 5th Field Ambulance then transferred to 38th Casualty Clearing Station with Gonorrhoea. He was transferred to 14th Ambulance Train on 15th December, 1916 & admitted the same day to No. 1 Stationary Hospital at Rouen with N.Y.D. (not yet determined) slight. L/Cpl Fitzgerald was transferred to No. 51 General Hospital at Rouen on 17th December, 1916 & transferred to Etaples on 18th December, 1916. He was discharged to duty on 11th February, 1917. Lance Corporal Fitzgerald rejoined his Battalion from Hospital on 20th February, 1917.
Lance Corporal Edward Michael Fitzgerald was wounded in action in France on 15th April, 1917. He was admitted to 3rd Field Ambulance on with G.S.W. (gunshot wound/s) to left leg. He was transferred to 9th Casualty Clearing Station then transferred to 11th Ambulance Train on 16th April, 1917. Lance Corporal Fitzgerald was admitted to No. 11 Stationary Hospital at Rouen, France on 17th April, 1917. He was transferred to Base Depot on 20th April, 1917 & rejoined 2nd Battalion from wounded on 2nd May, 1917.
He was wounded in action (2nd occasion) in France on 4th May, 1917. He was admitted to 3rd Casualty Clearing Station on 5th May, 1917 then transferred to Ambulance Train 16 on 6th May, 1917. Lance Corporal Fitzgerald was admitted to No. 26 General Hospital at Etaples on 7th May, 1917 with G.S.W. Leg & Testicles. He embarked for England from Calais on 13th May, 1917 with G.S.W. to right hand & left thigh.
On 14th May, 1917 Lance Corporal Fitzgerald was admitted to Military Hospital Boscombe, England with G.S.W. to hand & thigh (slight).
Lance Corporal Edward Michael Fitzgerald died at 9.40 pm on 21st May, 1917 at Military Hospital, Boscombe, England from wounds received in action in France – GSW to left leg & right arm (left leg amputated) & Haemorrhage.
He was buried in Bournemouth East Cemetery, Bournemouth, Hampshire - now Dorset, England where 10 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/bournemouth-east.html
Click images to start slideshow.