Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

William Henry Vaughan 

Edgar was born in Dunedin, New Zealand on 20 April 1884 and the family migrated to Australia soon after. He first joined the Commonwealth Naval Forces in 1906 and as a fitter and turner transferred to the fledgling Royal Australian Navy on 1 January 1913. From July 1914 he was posted to HMAS Australia as an artificer engineer.

In 1918 Edgar was one of a number of sailors from HMAS Australia who volunteered to take part in the Royal Navy's raid on Zeebrugge. During the raid on Zeebrugge, Edgar served as officer in charge of the engine room of HMS Iris II, a converted Mersey ferryboat. The vessel was used to transport Royal Marines to storm the Mole, a 2.5 kilometre breakwater that formed an artificial harbour at the mouth of the Zeebrugge canal. The storming of the Mole was a diversion from the main purpose of sinking three old British warships full of cement in the mouth of the canal thereby blocking access to the German submarine base at the inland port of Bruges.

While retiring from Zeebrugge at the completion of the mission, Iris was hit by five German shells in quick succession, killing 77 British Marines and wounding over 100. The vessel's electrics were shot away so Edgar worked throughout the return voyage in virtual darkness keeping the boat going. He also helped to bring up the dead and wounded from below.

The citation for his DSC reads, 'In recognition of distinguished services during the operations against Zeebrugge and Ostend on the night of the 22nd and 23rd April, 1918. It was due to the officer that HMS IRIS was kept going during the action under very heavy fire and, though holed several times, succeeded in returning to base under her own steam. He did valuable work in the engine room and boiler room throughout the operation for a period of seventeen hours without rest. He showed great bravery when the ship was under very heavy fire, by coming onto the upper deck and with the help of an engineroom artificer turned on the smoke apparatus'. This last action created a smoke screen allowing the Iris to make a successful escape.

He was the only member of the Royal Australian Navy to receive this award in the First World War.

Edgar was posted back to HMAS Australia almost immediately after the raid with a promotion to Engineer Lieutenant as further recognition of his bravery.

He married Ethel Louise Maloney on 6 December 1919 and stayed with the RAN until his service ended in some controversy in 1928. Edgar continued his engineering career in civilian life and died in Heidelberg, Victoria in 1962.

Source: AWM