COX, Edward King Standish
| Service Number: | 164 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 17 August 1914, An original of E Company |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 4th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Rylstone, New South Wales, Australia, 2 July 1885 |
| Home Town: | Georgetown, Etheridge, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Mildura State School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Station hand |
| Died: | Pneumonia, Alexandria, Egypt, 13 December 1914, aged 29 years |
| Cemetery: |
Alexandria (Chatby) Military and War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt Row S, Grave No. 761, Chatby Military and War Memorial Cemetery, Alexandria, Egypt |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 17 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 164, 4th Infantry Battalion, An original of E Company | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1914: | Involvement Private, 164, 4th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Euripides embarkation_ship_number: A14 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Oct 1914: | Embarked Private, 164, 4th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Euripides, Sydney |
Help us honour Edward King Standish Cox's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Probably the first Australian brothers who died in WW1 were the Cox brothers who died of pneumonia within a few days of each other in Egypt in 1914. They were both raised at “Rawdon” which is one of the most historic properties in the Rylstone district and owned for almost a hundred years by the Cox family. Rylstone is about 237 km north-west of Sydney, near Mudgee NSW.
164 Private Edward King Standish Cox 4th Battalion AIF died of disease 13 December 1914, age 29.
165 Private Miles Standish Cox 4th Battalion AIF died of disease 16 December 1914, age 23.
They enlisted and sailed together in late 1914, the only two sons of their parents and both are buried in Egypt. They were grandsons of William Cox who held a commission in the NSW Corps and is chiefly remembered for his remarkable feat of overseeing the construction of the first road over the Blue Mountains in 1815.
Their sister Mary Standish Cox also served overseas with the Australian Army Nursing Service.
Diary of Captain Stewart Milson 4th Battalion, later killed in action at Lone Pine.
“14 December 1915. Had news today of Private Cox of my company who was at hospital in Alexandria, dying of pneumonia, very sad case as brother is dangerously ill in Mena Hospital with same sickness.
15 December 1915. Sorry to hear the other brother Cox not expected to live the night.
18 December 1915. Got permission to attend young Coxs funeral with whole of my company, and firing party of twelve men and Sergeant. Marched to Mena Hospital and put coffin on board the Tram and went about halfway to Cairo where we were met by a gun carriage and we proceeded to the Cemetery where we buried him, fired three volleys and sounded the last post. These two boys will be greatly missed as every one liked them and they were two great strong lads.”
Edited from the The Nepean Times 26 December 1914.
....The two deceased scions of the great old Australian (Cox) family enlisted amongst the first batch of volunteers, and were members of 4th Battalion 1st Infantry Brigade, Australian Imperial Forces; and were two fine, strapping typical Australian youths, possessed of the gallantry and high spiritedness of their stock, a family which has contributed “some of the best” to Australian Expeditionary Forces; as their forebears contributed to the roll-call of the British Armies in days of old. The two brothers, it is pathetic to relate, died within two days of each other, having like others contracted that fell complaint pneumonia; in its worst form....
Click images to start slideshow.