Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

NOTE:  On his Embarkation roll (AWM) his name is incorrectly spelt - Brinxworth.

Father  Joseph Brinkworth   b. 1835 - d. ______) and
Mother Isabella Ann (nee Clode) - b. 1841 - d. _____

Edwin came out to Australia in the early 1800's from Gloucester, England.

He worked on the railways in Jamestown, South Australia,
where he met Elizabeth (Lily) Edwards,
and married and had a family, before leaving to live in Guilford, WA.

Married   4/7/1894, Edwin was 24 years old and Elizabeth 20 years old
- in the Wesleyan Church, Pt Pirie.
(Source -South Australian Marriages 1842 - 1916, Book/Page - 180/39 - District Code - Cla).

Wife   Mrs Elizabeth Mary Brinkworth (nee Edwards)
b. 8/10/1873  Penwortham SA  -  d. 1958 Perth, WA.
lived at c/o Lion Mill Post Office, Western Australia.
Her father: Henry Curnow EDWARDS.

Children
Charles Curnow BRINKWORTH (wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com)
b: 1/11/1895 in Jamestown, SA  -  d. 21/8/1898 Solomontown SA
buried at Port Pirie.

Nellie Marjorie BRINKWORTH (wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com)    (Pam's mother)
b: 2/12/1897 in Jamestown, SA  -  d. _______
m.  _________

Melva Florence BRINKWORTH (wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com)
b: 30/3/1900 in Davenport, SA (Now Wilmington) - d. ________
m.   1922  in Swan, WA   to    Arthur Thomas CROUCH 

Edith Adelaide BRINKWORTH (wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com)
b: 18/3/1902 in Quorn, SA  -  d. ________

Maxwell Edwin BRINKWORTH (wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com)
b: 28/6/1904 in Quorn, SA  -  d. ________

Victor Harold BRINKWORTH
b. ____1909 - d. 19/11/1922 (13 years old) Tetnus and heart failure
lived in Guildford, buried in Karrakatta Cemetery, later with his father and mother.

Described on enlisting as 45 years 4 months old; married; 6' 1" tall; 13 stone 5 lbs; fair complexion;

blue eyes; brown hair; Methodist.

7/3/1917            enlisted at Blackboy Hill, Western Australia
                          completed medical - fit for service

17/3/1917          Commanding Officer appointed Edwin to 5th Section, Railway Unit
                          2nd Depot Base, Royal Park

11/5/1917          embarked from Melbourne, on board HMAT Ascanius A11
                          as a 2nd Corporal with No.5 section, Railway unit
21/7/1917          disembarked into Devonport, England

******* In WW1 Railway units were part of the Engineers ********

2nd Light Railway Operating Company
Formed Australia January 1917 as 5th Section, Australian Railway Troops.
Arrived England 21 July 1917.

Redesignated 16th Light Railway Operating Company July 1917.

5/9/1917            proceeded overseas for France, via Southampton
4/10/1917          arrived into France - heavy rain

Moved to Ypres, Belgium.

** from WAR DIARY notes   (16th Light Rail Company)**
4/10/1917         "All trains reserved for war wounded .
                          Big advance commenced on Ypres front - many wounded - Australians and Germans
                          brought in from forward areas to Casualty Clearing Stations and Dressing Stations."

5/10/1917         "heavy rains overnight - very cold
                          materials and ammunition going forward."

9/10/1917         "Large number of german prisoners (Army Medical Corp and Cyclists)
                          came in."

10/10/1917       "Railway lines beginning to feel effects of rain. Numerous derailments due to the
                          heavy rains.  Unit very much split up and stationed practically all over Light Rail
                          System."

14/10/1917       "Weather improved.   Most of this unit is now at Vauxall
                           (near Voormezele in West-Vlaanderen, Belgium)."

15/10/1917        promoted to Temporary Corporal - France

15/10/1917        "Many hostile aircraft over our lines."

16/10/1917        "Heavy shelling of all the forward areas by the enemy."

20/10/1917        "Weather finer.  Many hostile aircraft overhead."

21/10/1917        "Moved unit to Vaux hall, near Voormezele in West-Vlaanderen, Belgium)."
22/10/1917        "Light rain.  Our previous depot bombed heavily last night
                            - 14 killed, 24 wounded."

23/10/1917        "All power and men working long hours - gettin material, guns and ammunition
                           forward.  Wet again."

25/10/1917        "Strong gales, very wet and cold.  Heavy shelling of german positions by guns
                           situated nearby.  Bombardment continues.  Roads very muddy."

27/10/1917        "Many german planes over our lines. Many bombs dropped.  Heavy shelling
                           of german positions."

28/10/1917        "Frosty.  Roads bogging up.  All power utilised to full extent on Railways."

29-31/10/1917   "Showery and cold with strong gales.  All power fully utilised in getting materials
                           etc forward."

31/10/1917         sick to hospital, France
1/11/1917           rejoined unit from hospital

1/11/1917           "Company stationed in Vaux hall district of No. 2 Army Light Railways.
                            Responsible for all Loco's and Tractors, with all through traffic."

6/11/1917           "Work proceeding in depot, providing Loco shed accommodation and petrol
                            shed. Completing water system.  Previously engines had to be attended to
                            on line, without cover and water drain from shell holes."

7/11/1917            "Terrific barrage at 2am this morning.  Windy."

10/11/1917         "Heavy shelling by naval guns situated on spur behind our depot. Weather
                            bad and roads very bad. Inches of slimy mud."

11/11/1917          "Many german planes over today."

13/11/1917          "Terrific barrage on all 3 sides of this salient at 4pm today - continued through
                             the night."

14/11/1917          "Heavy artillery fire continues - ceased about 4pm."

15/11/1917          "Another evening of heavy artillery fire.  Guns around here cause whole place
                             to tremble."

16/11/1917          "Cold and showery.   Artillery continued all last night, until late this evening."

17/11/1917          "Heavy firing on Passchendaele Sector."

21/11/1917           "Railways now being utilised for transport of troops from rest areas to as far
                             forward as possible."

23/11/1917          "Vicinity of camp heavily bombed by hostile aircraft."

27/11/1917          "Naval guns on spur behind depot, again shelling german positions."

28/11/1917          "Heavy shelling by the guns immediately between us and german lines."

30/11/1917          "German guns busy in forward area. Numerous derailments due to shell fire.
                             Trains being used for personnel."

18/1/1918            reverted to rank of 2nd Corporal

Renumbered 2nd Light Railway Operating Company 28/2/1918. England, Western Front

18/3/1918            leave, in Paris
24/3/1918            rejoined unit

19/6/1918            sick to hospital - France - pyrexia
                            admitted to 99 Field Ambulance - in the field
23/6/1918            admitted to 20th General Hospital, Camiers, from HM Unit
26/6/1918            discharged to Base Depot

16/7/1918            marched out to Australian General Base Depot (AGBD), Camiers
17/7/1918            marched in to Australian General Base Depot, Camiers

15/8/1918            transferred to England, ex Australian General Base Depot, deafness
16/8/1918            marched in to No. 2 Com Depot Weymouth, England, from France

19/10/1918          Returned to Australia per HT Sardinia D24 - nerve deafness
16/12/1918          disembarked into Australia

Returned to Guildford, Western Australia.

5/2/1919              Discharged from service

Medals:
British War Medal (18808), Victory Medal (18105)

13/8/1936            Edwin passed away aged 64, in Guildford, Western Australia.

buried in:             Karrakatta Cemetery
                            Wesleyan Section;  Row DC;  Grave 0324
                           (Placed with Victor, and later joined by Elizabeth).

RELATIVES -  this gravesite has expired  19/11/1972
the cemetery advised this area is soon to be re-developed and advised that Edwin is not in a
War Grave.
- please note I have contacted Dept of Vet Affairs (Australian War Graves)
  to request if Edwin can be placed in a War Grave (10/11/2014).

After finding Pam Larkin's brief story online, I dedicate this profile to her
- grandaughter of Edwin.

Thank you to Cherie Strickland and Lorraine Clarke (from Swan Geneaology) for assistance
with Edwin's death details.

Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan.   10/11/2014.   Lest we forget.