Reginald Ignatius EDGEWORTH

EDGEWORTH, Reginald Ignatius

Service Number: 5361
Enlisted: Not yet discovered
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 53rd Infantry Battalion
Born: Harden, New South Wales, Australia, 11 April 1889
Home Town: Murrumburrah, Harden, New South Wales
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Railway Labourer
Died: Killed in Action, Belgium, 20 October 1917, aged 28 years
Cemetery: Tyne Cot Cemetery and Memorial
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board
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World War 1 Service

14 Apr 1916: Involvement Private, 5361, 1st Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: ''
14 Apr 1916: Embarked Private, 5361, 1st Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ceramic, Sydney
20 Oct 1917: Involvement Private, 5361, 53rd Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 5361 awm_unit: 53rd Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-10-20

Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board

Reginald Ignatius EDGEWORTH, (Service Number 5361) was born on 11 April 1889 at Harden. While he had previously been employed on a casual basis, he was appointed to a permanent position as a labourer in Harden Locomotive Depot on 12 May 1911. On 17 October 1911 he resigned, though there is an entry for 24 October ‘returned 24.10.11’. He enlisted at Goulburn, four years later, in November 1915.
He left Australia, through Sydney onboard HMAT ‘Ceramic’ on 13 April 1916 and reached Suez on 16 May.

He was killed in action in Belgium, when he was blown to pieces by a shell which landed on a dugout in which he was sheltering, on 20 October 1917. Also in the dugout and killed instantly was J O’Rourke, Edgeworth’s brother-in-law.
That afternoon, the remains were buried ‘in a pill box called “Anzac House”on Anzac Ridge past Zillebeeke near Garte Point branches to Helles Track’, though in the rationalisation of cemeteries after the war the remains were exhumed and re-interred in Tyne Cot British Cemetery, 5¼ miles ENE of Passchendaele.
As part of the evidence collected to determine the fate of these potentially missing men and their bodies, a note was received from Pte. George Hill (3234B). He recalled that Edgeworth ‘was a railwayman in civil life, and came from Murrumburrah N.S.Wales.’

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Biography contributed by John Oakes

Reginald Ignatius EDGEWORTH (Service Number 5361) was born on 11th April 1889 at Harden. While he had previously been employed on a casual basis, he was appointed to a permanent position as a labourer in Harden Locomotive Depot on 12th May 1911. On 17th October 1911 he resigned. He enlisted at Goulburn in November 1915.

He left Australia from Sydney on board HMAT ‘Ceramic’ on 13th April 1916. He reached Suez on 16th May. After further training he embarked from Alexandria (Egypt) to join the British Expeditionary Forces. He reached Marseilles on 29th June. At Etaples, France, he was promoted to Acting Sergeant on 1st July. This rank was revoked and replaced with Acing Corporal on 1st August. This was revoked a fortnight later. He joined his unit, the 53rd Australian Infantry Battalion, on 15th October 1916.

In December he was admitted to hospital with trench feet. He was evacuated to England where he remained in hospital for three months. He then went through a series of convalescent and training depots until he returned to France. He rejoined the 53rd Battalion on 2nd  October 1917.

He was killed in action in Belgium on 20th October 1917. He was blown to pieces by a shell which landed on the dugout in which he was sheltering. J O’Rourke, Edgeworth’s brother-in-law, was also killed.

That afternoon, their remains were buried ‘in a pill box called “Anzac House”on Anzac Ridge past Zillebeeke near Garte Point branches to Helles Track’. In the rationalisation of cemeteries after the war the remains were exhumed and re-interred in Tyne Cot British Cemetery, 5¼ miles ENE of Passchendaele.

As part of the evidence collected to determine the fate of these potentially missing men and their bodies, a note was received from Pte. George Hill (3234B). He recalled that Edgeworth ‘was a railwayman in civil life, and came from Murrumburrah N.S.Wales.’ 

- based on notes for the Great Sydney Central Stationn Honour Board

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