Edwin Leslie BRIGGS

Edwin Leslie BRIGGS Update Details

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BRIGGS, Edwin Leslie

Service Number:	622
Enlisted:	8 January 1917
Last Rank:	Private
Last Unit:	40th Infantry Battalion
Born:	Brighton, Tasmania, Australia, 6 April 1896
Home Town:	Brighton, Brighton, Tasmania
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Labourer
Died:	Killed in action, France, 28 March 1918, aged 21 years
Cemetery:	Heilly Station Cemetery Plot VII, Row A, Grave No. 48.
Memorials:	Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour

World War 1 Service

8 Jan 1917:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 622, 10th Machine Gun Company
21 Jun 1917:	Involvement Private, 622, 10th Machine Gun Company, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '21' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Suevic embarkation_ship_number: A29 public_note: ''
21 Jun 1917:	Embarked Private, 622, 10th Machine Gun Company, HMAT Suevic, Melbourne
28 Mar 1918:	Involvement Private, 622, 40th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 622 awm_unit: 40th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1918-03-28

Help us honour Edwin Leslie Briggs's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks

Edwin was one of the four sons of Charles and Thurza Briggs of Brighton, Tasmania who enlisted in the AIF. Only one son returned, and he was twice badly wounded. Edwin was only 21 years of age when he died.

An older brother, Charles Briggs had been killed in the heavy fighting at Mouquet Farm during 1916 and another brother, Bertie Briggs was killed in action only six weeks after Edwin died.

In the Red Cross wounded and missing file of Arthur Bonser of the 40th Battalion, a mate reported, “He was buried by a shell at Heilly near Mericourt at about 4pm on the 28 March, with three other men, Ptes. J.Roughly, and Jack Collins of both of D Company 13th Platoon and H.Briggs of C Company. I came up about a quarter of an hour after it happened and they had not been dug up but the bodies were recovered the same night. They had all been killed outright. They were buried the next day close by the church of Heilly.”

All four men are buried in the same row in the Heilly Station Cemetery.

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