EDWARDS, William
| Service Number: | 188 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 1st Queensland Mounted Infantry |
| Born: | Queensland, Australia, 30 January 1879 |
| Home Town: | Gympie, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Miner |
| Died: | Mining Accident, Gympie, Queensland, Australia, 11 August 1909, aged 30 years |
| Cemetery: |
Gympie Cemetery, Qld Plot: CEPB-3-17 |
| Memorials: |
Boer War Service
| 1 Oct 1899: | Involvement Private, 188, 1st Queensland Mounted Infantry | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nov 1899: | Embarked Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 188, 1st Queensland Mounted Infantry, AWM Boer War Unit Details, Murray p. 448 notes 1st QMI embarked 1 Nov 1899 aboard Cornwall arriving Cape Town 13 Dec 1899. | |
| 29 May 1900: | Wounded Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 188, 1st Queensland Mounted Infantry, AWM Boer War Nominal Roll, Murray p. 453 notes slightly wounded near Johannesburg 29 May 1900. | |
| 23 Jan 1901: | Discharged Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 188, 1st Queensland Mounted Infantry, National Archives Australia- Boer War Dossier notes invalided returned to Australia aboard Orient arriving Brisbane 16 Jn 1901, discharged 23 Jan 1901. |
Help us honour William Edwards's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Claude McKelvey
William Edwards served twice in the South African (Boer) War. First service was as a Private S.N. 188 in 'A' Coy, 1st Queensland Mounted Infantry. Second service was as a Corporal rising to Sergeant S.N. 291 in the 6th Queensland Imperial Bushmen.
When William Edwards enlisted in 1899 in 'A' Company of the 1st QMI, under his entry in the original nominal roll for the 1st Qld Contingent, p. 2, held by National Archives Australia, his address is given as River Road, Gympie. In the Boer War Service Paybooks for 'A' Coy of the 1st QMI, Bk 1 p. 39, it is noted he directed part of his pay to Mrs F. Edwards, River Road, Gympie, and that his war gratuity was paid with the 6th QIB. She was likely an elderly relative such as his grandmother and passed away in Jul 1901 at aged 63. She (Fanny Edwards) is interred in the same grave as William who passed as a result of a mining accident in Aug 1909.
William Edwards was born William Henry Edwards on 30 Jan 1879 reportedly at Gympie, Queensland, a son to William Henry Edwards and Mary Ann Edwards (nee Moles). He married Florrie (Florence) Frances Middleton on 24 Mar 1906 in Queensland and they had 3 children.
Newspaper reports on the accident at the Scottish Gympie mine note he was the son in law of Mr. T. Middleton, leaving a young wife with 3 children, and was an old mounted infantry man having been on active service with two contingents in the Boer War.
(source- AWM Boer War Nominal Roll, Murray p. 453 and 515; National Archives Australia- Boer War Dossier, 1st service; Qld State Archives- Boer War Service Paybooks A Coy 1st QMI, Bk 1 p. 39; Qld State Archives- Boer War Service Paybooks 6th QIB, Bk 2 p. 80; Fatality at the Scottish Gympie Mine, The Gympie Times, 12 Aug 1909, p. 3).