Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Edgar Thomas Ellings was born in Auckland, Thames-Coromandel district, New Zealand to parents Edwin and Ann in January 1882. It is unknown when or why, but Edgar moved to Barrington, Tasmania where he married Leila Ellings and worked as a shop assistant. He was a small and perhaps scrawny man: 158 centimetres tall and weighing 48 kilograms, having a ‘sallow’ complexion which is characterised by pale-tinted skin, grey hair and eyes and a noticeable scar on the outside of his left elbow. Edgar enlisted for war in Claremont, Tasmania and succeeded on his second attempt as he was originally labelled “too short” for His Majesty’s Service. He was ranked ‘Private’ with the service number 2080 and fought predominantly in France on the Western Front, from 1917 until 1919.

Early Life
Not much is known about Edgar Ellings’ early life. After emigrating from New Zealand at some point, he married Leila Sylvia Violet Ellings (née Cooper) in 1904. Leila was born in Port Sorell, Tasmania on the 15th of August 1885 to Charles Cooper and Mary Robertson who were from Deloraine and Port Erroll, Scotland, respectively. She was the last of five children: James, Rhoda, Agnes and Mary.
Edgar likely had at least two siblings as the 3rd of April edition of Hobart’s The Daily Post mentions a probate of £2606 being given to John Henry Ellings, Richard Charles Ellings and Edgar Thomas Ellings from a deceased Stephen Thomas Middleton: a possible distant relative.

War Story
Edgar enlisted for war in Claremont, Hobart, Australia on the 20th of June in 1916 at the age of 34. He received a medical examination three weeks earlier which was conducted in Sheffield, the closest significant town to his house in Barrington. He departed Australia on the HMAT A49 Seang Choon on the 19th of September 1916, disembarking in southern England almost four months later on the 9th of December. This ship was constructed in modern-day Myanmar and travelled at a speed of 22 kilometres per hour and weighed almost 6,000 tons. It was later torpedoed and sunk off the coast of Fastnet, Ireland in 1917.

In early 1917 when training had commenced in the United Kingdom, Edgar fell ill twice and was admitted to both Tidworth and Fargo Military Hospitals for scabies, a contagious skin condition caused by small mites. The illness’ symptoms include intense itching and a splotchy red rash caused by the mites burrowing into the skin, and was common among World War One soldiers who had little protection and a basic selection of medicine. After being dispatched on the 17th of April, Edgar travelled to Lark Hill, France, with the 10th Training Battalion and subsequently to the Australian Divisional Base Depot in Étaples. He was taken on strength with the 40th Battalion a week later on the 1st of May, and fought for 40 days until being wounded for ‘Shell Shock’, a condition now known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This occurs when an individual has been exposed to or witnessed a horrific and frightening event and struggles to recover; intense flashbacks often cause severe anxiety and a mental state of confusion and terror. Shell Shock was (and still is) an extremely prevalent illness for soldiers and those involved in war and conflict. Edgar was initially admitted to the Twelfth Field Ambulance and transferred to the First Casualty Cleaning Station and later the Stationary Hospital in Arques, where he would stay for four weeks. His wife Leila was notified via telegram on the 29th of June of her husband’s condition.
After recovering enough to be deemed fit again, Edgar was sent to two Convalescent Depots in Boulogne and Ecault respectively - soldiers were sent to these camps to assist their final stage of recovery. He was then discharged to the Australian Divisional Base Depot and rejoined the 40th Battalion on the 8th of August 1917.

Edgar temporarily joined the 3rd Divisional Signal Company from late January to early March 1918, and immediately afterwards rejoined his battalion. From the 18th of March until the 4th of April, Edgar was granted leave by his Commanding Officer, something that was given to First World War soldiers to ease the intensity and hardship of daily life. It is not known what he did or where he went during this time period, however it is likely that he remained in France.

Seven months passed without much information being recorded until the 14th of November when Edgar contracted influenza: a viral infection that specifically targets one’s respiratory system, and in serious cases can lead to death. 1918 was a year dominated by an epidemic named the ‘Spanish Flu’ that swept across North America and Europe, infecting 500 million people and killing between 20 million and 50 million. It is plausible that Edgar may have contracted this strain of avian influenza, for which he was transported to the Australian General Hospital in Abbeville where he took one week to recover. On the 22nd of November he was dismissed from hospital and rejoined the 40th Battalion, with whom he fought in France with until the 16th of February 1919 when the battalion marched out. This did not end his health woes however, as on the 21st of February he was admitted to the 39th General Hospital in Le Havre with an unidentified illness (later recognised as Impetigo) for five days. These General Hospitals were established in abundance by the allies in the French and Belgian countryside, strategically constructed near the coast and close to railway lines to facilitate large numbers of casualties.

Journey From War
Edgar departed mainland France for England on the 28th of February 1919, arriving in Weymouth the next day and setting off to train with the Overseas Training Brigade. Over one month passed before he eventually boarded the Karagola and returned to Melbourne. On the 7th of June (five days prior to his return in Australia), Edgar received an on-boat telegram from J. Ellings advising of his mother’s recent passing - this would have been heartbreaking for both him and his mother, who had no opportunity to see him in her final years.

After one and a half months at sea, Edgar Thomas Ellings disembarked in Melbourne, Australia, on the 12th of June 1919. In his medical examination that was conducted in late June, it was reported that his heart and lungs were clear, and although there was a small wound scar on his right knee’s outer side there were no evident disabilities. It was also mentioned that he looked “more than his age”, which could be suspected of someone who had spent the past two years of their life in damp trenches and being susceptible to many diseases.
Edgar officially disembarked service at the Anglesea Barracks in Hobart, Tasmania, on the 7th of August 1919.
Similarly to many other privates, Edgar won a British War Medal and a Victory Medal.

Life After War
Edgar disappeared into history after being demobilised, with his final documents of memorandum being dispatched in 1921. It is believed that he died on the 10th of January 1924 at the age of 42 and was buried in the Sheffield Cemetery.