SADLER, Edgar Harold
| Service Number: | 1505 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 10 December 1915, Enlisted at Newcastle. |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 9th Machine Gun Company |
| Born: | Christchurch, New Zealand , 12 March 1885 |
| Home Town: | West Maitland, Maitland, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Carpenter with Railway Signallers |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 31 January 1917, aged 31 years |
| Cemetery: |
Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, Armentieres IV D 30 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 10 Dec 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1505, 35th Infantry Battalion, Enlisted at Newcastle. | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 May 1916: | Involvement Private, 1505, 35th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Benalla embarkation_ship_number: A24 public_note: '' | |
| 1 May 1916: | Embarked Private, 1505, 35th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Benalla, Sydney | |
| 31 Jan 1917: | Involvement Private, 1505, 9th Machine Gun Company, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1505 awm_unit: 9th Australian Machine Gun Company awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-01-31 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by John Oakes
Edgar Harold SADLER (Service Number 1505) was born on 12th March 1885 at Littleton, New Zealand. He first worked for the NSW Railways as a carpenter in the Signalling Branch from 1st May 1912 in Sydney. In August he relocated to Wingham where he remained until he was released from duty to Join the Expeditionary Forces on 10th December 1915. He enlisted at Newcastle that same day,. Allthough he stated that he was married to Anne Sadler who lived in West Maitland, he gave his father living in New Zealand as his next of kin.
He was allotted to the 35th Battalion. He embarked HMAT ‘Benalla’ at Sydney on 1 May 1916 and reached Plymouth on 9th July. On 4th November he was transferred to the 9th Machine Gun Company and proceeded overseas to France through Southampton on 21st November. Two weeks later he was admitted to the 9th Australian Field Ambulance with bronchitis but returned to duty within a week. He was killed in action on 31st January 1917. Cpl W C Foote stated:
‘I had just left the position which this man’s team took in the front line, while I went back into the second. That night the Germans began to straffe and a big shell from a long range came from behind because the trenches at that point went right round. The shell burst almost at the gun position, and blew half of Ted Sadler’s head off. I do not know where he is buried, but I should think somewhere about Armentières.’
John Joseph Kielt (2090) saw it differently:
‘I was on the spot but it happened so quickly one can hardly say what happened exactly. The Germans came over, the S.O.S. went up, we mounted our gun quickly. Then our Artillery opened shells into our own gunpit. Ted Sadler was waiting for the order from the Cpl. when a shell from our own guns went through his tin helmet. He dropped and died a once. He had his hand on the ammunition box just ready to pass it up. He was buried near Armentières He was a very nice chap and lived at Maitland, N.S.W.’
He was buried by Rev G Hushnance, Chaplain attached to the 43rd Battalion, 11th Brigade Headquarters. The Australian War Memorial records his place of burial as the Cité Bonjean Military Cemetery, Armentières, France.
Pensions were awarded to his widow, Anne Mildred (£2 per fortnight), a step-daughter, Marjorie Lesbia Pritchard (£1 per fortnight), a second step-daughter, Cora May Pritchard, (15/- per fortnight), and a son, Edgar Harold Sadler (10/- per fortnight).
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.