Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Step Sister:  Mary Amy Casey, Jamestown, SA

previous service:  2yrs 24th Light Horse - still serving on enlisting

Described on enlisting as 34yrs 4mths old; single; 5' 7.5" tall; 142lbs;
fresh complexion; blue eyes; light brown hair; Roman Catholic

16/9/1914    enlisted in Adelaide, SA

7/11/1916    embarked from Port Adelaide onboard HT A19 Afric
                   as a Private with 7th/50th Battalion

7/12/1916    sick to ships hospital

9/1/1917      disembarked into Plymouth, England

10/1/1917    marched out to Training Battalion

23/1/1917     sick to Camp Hospital, from 13th Training Battalion, Codford
28/1/1917     admitted to Military Hospital, Sutton Veny

25/3/1917    march in to 18th Training Battalion, Perham Downs

15/7/1917    taken on strength 50th Battalion, Australian Infantry Battalion

26/8/1917    wounded in action, France
24/10/1917   rejoined unit

19/9/1918     sick to hospital
26/9/1918     invalided to UK
27/9/1918     admitted to Graylingwell War Hospital

8/1/1919       embarked onboard HT Orsova, ex England
                    for return to Australia
25/2/1919     disembarked into Australia

27/3/1919     discharged from service

Total service:  2 years 193 days (2 years 111 days overseas)

Medals:         British War medal (18015), Victory medal (17818)

married:        Margaret Mary Cavanagh

8/7/1963      passed away (81yrs)
buried in:      Jamestown Cemetery, Jamestown, SA
                   Section FZ;  Plot 16

buried with wife:  Margaret Mary Cavanagh
                          d.  5/1/1983  (99yrs), Section FZ;  Plot: 15

Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan.  3/5/2016.  Lest we forget.

Thank you to Kaye Bottrall, Jamestown, SA for her information.

Edward (Ted) Phillip Cavanagh was born on 26 April 1882 at Coomeroo, South Australia. Just a few months after his parents were married, and six months after his father’s death, Ted was born. Ted's mother remarried when he was two, and he grew up in Jamestown surrounded by his mother and stepfather.

Ted lived with his four stepsiblings: James, Michael, Mary, and Austin Casey. 5 He had a hard life growing up, and at age 15, Ted moved to Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie in Western Australia to join the families of his Noonan first cousins, Mary Carmody, and Ivy Noonan. 10 His stepfather was a hard taskmaster, so Ted worked at the gold diggings in Western Australia and as a farm labourer. In 1912, Ted returned to Jamestown to work at the local chaff mill, as his mother suffered from a heart condition.

Australia didn’t use conscription during World War I, so the government had to encourage young men to enlist by offering incentives. Government incentives played a significant role in Ted’s decision to enlist. The promise of access to farming land upon a soldier’s return was an appealing offer for Ted. Unlike his Noonan and Kelly cousins, whose families had given them land, Ted had no inheritance. 10

Before the war in Jamestown, Ted met Margaret Mary Kelly, and they instantly connected. Margaret was a very important person to Ted. They agreed that Ted would send cards whenever he had the chance to let her know he was alive. 7

Ted enlisted for World War 1 in Adelaide, South Australia, on 16 September 1916, for the 50th Battalion, Imperial Force. He was 34 years old when he enlisted. Miss Mary Ann Casey, Ted’s stepsister, was his next of kin.2 Ted embarked in Adelaide on 7 November 1916, on HMAT (His Majesty's Australian Transport) Afric A19. This was the HMAT A19 Afric’s last voyage.

On 20 March, Ted officially joined the 13th Training Battalion at Codford, having been transferred from the Personnel Depot. His military preparation had begun. The 13th Training Battalion trained and shaped soldiers ready for war. 1 After the training, Ted was ready and proceeded overseas to France on 15th July 1917 to reinforce the 50th Battalion, a South Australian unit already fighting in the trenches on the Western Front3. Ted, being a reinforcement, was one of the soldiers sent to replace soldiers who had been killed or injured, helping to keep the battalion at full strength.2

A wartime proposal for Margaret Kelly came about through the arrival from France of an envelope sent by Ted containing a beautiful, handcrafted gold ruby ring. The dependence on overseas transport tested Ted's faith in delivering this essential item.

Throughout Ted’s war journey, he constantly thought of Margaret and sent her cards with his initials, providing her with proof of life. Due to wartime censorship, no details were allowed to be provided as to where Ted was or how he was going, but the cards he sent for her birthday and Christmas kept their connection strong. These cards were significant and treasured by Margaret as she kept them in perfect condition her whole life. 7

Ted then went to the French battle of Villers-Bretonneux. At first, when walking out to the battlefield, the ANZAC soldiers were filled with excitement, unaware that they were walking straight into a nightmare. After the first gunshot, the first bomb, the first siren, the soldiers soon realised just how cruel the war was. On 26 August 1917, Ted was wounded in action in France on the Western Front. 2 The battle of Villers-Bretonneux started on 24 April 1918 and continued to 25 April 1918. Ted was part of this battle, described as the crucial turning point in World War 1. Approximately 3,900 Australian soldiers were involved in this battle, and there were around 2,400 casualties. The battle was a surprise attack at night, the day after the German troops had taken over the town of Villers-Bretonneux. 2

During the French Battle of Villers-Bretonneux, Ted and Corporal Duncan Butler were hidden from the Germans in a precarious trench. 9 They had many close encounters together, narrowly escaping the trenches just in time, though they also witnessed others who weren't so lucky. 9 Ted experienced the constant chaos and fear of gunshots, bombs, and the terror every soldier had. The trenches were cold, wet, and filled with dread. A blast of bomb debris landed on top of them, causing Ted and his mate to be injured. 9 Ted was sent to a war hospital, but he returned to fighting on the Western Front despite his injuries. 2 The use of machine guns and rapid artillery pieces meant that every soldier was vulnerable. Ted had to see people around him drop to the ground dead, but continued to fight as if he hadn’t just experienced something so traumatic. Soldiers put their sweat, blood, and tears into protecting each other and Australia. 9

Ted was wounded again by a gunshot to his left hand on 24 September 1917. 6 27 September, Ted was taken to an English war hospital due to wounds and cellulitis on his right knee. He then stayed in the hospital to recover. After his injuries and wounds had recovered, he returned to the war in France. He fought in the trenches until the end of the war.2 After all the injuries, sweat, tears, miles run, and bullets shot, Ted embarked on the boat ‘Orsova’ to head back to Australia.4 He survived, but the war left invisible wounds, scars that nothing could fix. Ted was beyond relieved to return home to his family, and Ted and Margaret finally had their long-overdue wedding—a privilege denied to many during the war. Ted was granted a medical discharge from the AIF on 27 March 1919. 2 Ted did a total of 2 years and 111 days of service abroad and returned to Australia on 8 January 1919. 3

After the war, Ted and Margaret were married on 2 September at St. James Church in Jamestown. 10 They were happy to be united and safe; they soon moved to Crystal Brook, where they began building their life together. 7 A year later, they welcomed their first child, Mary Margaret Cavanagh. In 1922, two years after Mary was born, their son John (Jack) Ted Cavanagh was born. Joseph Vincent Cavanagh was born a few years later, followed by their youngest child, Margaret Therese Cavanagh.5

Their family brought them great joy as they settled into a peaceful life after the war. Ted received an Australian Military Force British War Medal in 1919 to mark the end of World War I for the service given. 2 He also received a Victory Medal that was authorised in 1919 to commemorate the victory of the Allied Forces over the Central Powers. 7

As part of the Soldier Settlement Scheme, land was granted to returning Australian soldiers after World War I, mainly for agricultural purposes.8 Ted was given a block of land at Beetaloo Valley, near Laura.10 The land was of poor quality and unsuitable for farming or habitation, so they chose to reside in Crystal Brook. Ted often expressed frustration that he didn't receive special treatment despite the promises made to young men who enlisted in the AIF during the war. He was bitter about this. 10 In 1934, Ted and his family relocated to Jamestown, moving into the house owned by Margaret’s parents, located on King Edward Terrace. Margaret’s sister, Julia Kelly, who had inherited the property after her parents’ passing, also lived with the family. Ted worked as a farm labourer, railway labourer and drover until his retirement. 10

Throughout Ted’s war experience, he displayed the ANZAC quality of persistence through his determination during World War 1. Despite the hardships of military service, seeing casualties, being away from his loved ones, and fighting through injuries, Ted held firm to his commitment. Instead of giving up when he had troubles, Ted always focused on the positives and continued his life at home. He wrote cards back to Margaret, not just to let her know he was alive, but to remind himself of who he had to protect. Ted also showed courage through the tenacity to persevere and the discipline to continue fighting and risk his life for his country. Despite great hardship and adversity, Ted planned a life in Australia after the war. He still had hope to return home, and he did.

1 Virtual War Memorial - https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/83878
2 National Archives - https://www.naa.gov.au/
3 The AIF Project- https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=49236
4 Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/advanced-search/people?roll=First%20World%20War%20Embarkation%20Roll&people_preferred_name=Edward%20Phillip%20Cavanagh%20&people_service _number=2891
5 Family Search- https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:W38Y-B3W2?lang=en
6 STU005 conversation with Denese Simpson, granddaughter of Edward Cavanagh (4 August 2025)
7 STU005 Conversation with Marie Lang, granddaughter of Edward Cavanagh (5 August 2025)
8 State Records - https://www.archives.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/830017/GRG35_320_1917-1931_Record_of_land_held_by_soldier_settlers.pdf
9 Hurcombe’s Hungry Half Hundred, a book written by R.R. Freeman.
10 STU005 conversation with Des Caulfield, grandson of Edward Cavanagh (7 August 2025)

Reference List:

National Archives of Australia (2019). Home page | naa.gov.au. [online] Naa.gov.au. Available at: https://www.naa.gov.au/.
Vwma.org.au. (2025). Edward Phillip CAVANAGH. [online] Available at: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/83878 [Last accessed 6 Aug. 2025].
Adfa.edu.au. (2025). Details. [online] Available at: https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=49236 [Last accessed 6 Aug. 2025
Awm.gov.au. (2025). Advanced Search: People | Australian War Memorial. [online] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/advanced-search/people?roll=First%20World%20War%20Embarkation%20Roll&people_preferred_name=Edward%20Phillip%20Cavanagh%20&people_service [Last accessed 6 Aug. 2025].
Familysearch.org. (2015). FamilySearch.org. [online] Available at: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:W38Y-B3W2?lang=en [Last accessed 6 Aug. 2025].
Figure 8. Edward and Margaret at their Wedding
   STU005’ conversation with Denese Simpson, granddaughter of Edward Cavanagh (4 August 2025)
STU005’ Conversation with Marie Lang, granddaughter of Edward Cavanagh (5 August 2025)
STU005’ conversation with Des Caulfield, grandson of Edward Cavanagh (7 August 2025)
Hurcombe’s Hungry Half Hundred, a book written by R.R. Freeman.