Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Edwin, known as Ted, came from a large extended family who lived in the Wilmington area of the Southern Flinders Ranges. Ted’s hometown was at Terka, a Station and railway siding near Mt Remarkable. Ted was born on the 28th November 1917 to Thomas Mangin and Ellen May Harding and his siblings included Alfred, Angus, Ralph, John, Vera, Teresa, Olive, Ivy, Alice Ellen and Violet. He attended the small local school.
With the outbreak of WWII, Ted’s older brother, 26-year-old Angus Gregory, was the first to enlist from a Light Horse camp held at Gawler on the 1st March ’40. He became SX1787 in the 2/10th Battalion. Ted, who worked as a farmhand, enlisted soon after in July 22nd ’40. He was given the number SX9111 and placed in the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. His early days were spent in the cold Pavilion sheds of the (now) Royal Adelaide Showgrounds at Wayville, before the new enlistees headed for Woodside in the Adelaide Hills.
Angus struggled with army life, with numerous lengthy bouts of being AWOL, the first at the stop-over in Freemantle. Ironically, he was soon after placed on the Stratheden, (the same ship Ted would later sail on) and arrived in Liverpool. His desire for freedom saw AWOL charges there, then London, Coalchester and Glasgow.
Ted had pre-embarkation leave before boarding the Stratheden on the 7th November, disembarking in the Middle East on the 17th December. Within weeks, Ted developed an extremely high temperature (Pyrexia of Unknown Origin) followed by influenza causing him to be hospitalised. The conditions were in stark contrast to the healthy lifestyle he had enjoyed at Terka, with heat, flies, dust and nutrition.
In an attempt to destroy morale, leaflets were dropped on the men, urging them to surrender, rather than continue to live ‘like rats’ in their hand-hewn dugouts. The opposite effect resulted with the soldiers proudly claiming the title of Rats of Tobruk as an unofficial badge of honour. Ted’s battalion continued to hold Tobruk for sixteen weeks to the end of July ‘In dust and sand and heat and fleas and flies.. and battle, moving back to the Salient to the left of the Fig Tree area. Soon after, Ted’s health deserted him and he was evacuated to what was supposed to be a battle-free hospital zone for treatment of severe leg ulcers.
By November ’41 the Medical Board officially classified Ted as Permanently Unfit for Service, with chronic bronchitis. Moves then were underway to return him to Australia. The following month he arrived in Adelaide where the News published a photo titles ‘Diggers Who Have returned from Abroad’ featuring Ted as one of the 23 servicemen. Stories from the servicemen told of the real conditions under which they had fought, including ill-treatment, but also praise for the Australian artillery which had done a marvellous job, with incredible acts of heroism under machine gun fire. Ted recounted his own brush with death whist in hospital.
“While Pte. E. G. Harding, of Terka, was in No. 9 Ward of Tobruk Hospital with severe leg ulcers. He was extremely fortunate to avoid the fate of the adjoining No. 10 Ward, which was wrecked during an aerial attack. Fortunately, most of the men were out of the ward at the time. Pte. Harding was with South Australians who pushed through Libya and nearly reached Benghazi. After the retreat he was in Tobruk for six months. "It's not so good lying in hospital when planes are attacking." said Pte. F. Jackson, of Palmerston road, Unley, who was also in Tobruk ad travelled back with Ted.
Ted travelled home to Terka where at the end of that month he was invited to the Terka school’s end of year concert to celebrate the seven students who had gained their Qualifying Certificates that year. Ted was presented to the school community as being the first soldier of the district to return from overseas, a proud moment for the locals and inspiration for the students.
Ted’s younger brother Ralph Wilton, initially served with the Militia as S7252 before enlisting as a 22-year-old in the Air Force as a Leading Aircraftsman, 141387 in October ’43. His time was spent both in Australian locations and later in Milne Bay and Lae.
By 26th December ’41, Ted was eventually discharged as medically unfit.
The family received the distressing news that their brother and son, Angus had died of horrific wounds on the 25th January ’44 in New Guinea. It was his second bout serving in New Guinea, having previously served in Syria and Palestine. The newspaper carried Angus’ photo and added ‘Another brother, Pte. E. G. Harding, served with the AIF for two years, and a third brother is now with the RAAF.’
Angus’ siblings, family and friends all paid tribute to his memory in the Heroes of the Empire memorial with Ted contributing ‘HARDING.—In loving memory of our brother Angus, died of wounds. N.G. January 25. 1944. Resting where no shadows fall, in perfect peace he awaits us all.—Ever remembered. Ted. ex 2-48th Batt, and Daph.’
Ted’s 72-year-old father died on the 5th July ’45 in the Booleroo Centre Hospital, leaving five sons and seven daughters and was buried in the Melrose Cemetery.
Aged just 48 years, Ted died on the 1st January ’66 struck by a car whilst walking home from a New Year’s Eve party. He was buried in the Ceduna Cemetery, Plot A23.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.