Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From How We Served

The private commemoration for; - 2395 Private Edward Joseph Kiernan of Carlton, Victoria who prior to enlisting for War Service on the 4th of June 1915, at the age of 18, had been employed as a wagon builder for the Victorian Railways. Edward sought his parent’s permission to enlist and was allocated to reinforcements for the 6th Battalion 1st AIF.

On the 16th of July 1915 Edward was shipped to Egypt for further training and after being sent to Lemnos Island he was taken on strength with his Battalion as a Driver. Following the end of the Gallipoli campaign Edward was returned to Egypt where he re-joined his Unit on the 7th of January 1916, and with his Battalion was then later shipped to France where they arrived on the 2nd of April.

Edward’s Battalion was committed to the heavy fighting to capture Pozieres, and it was during these operations on the 16th of August that Edward received severe shrapnel wounds to his back and spine. Edward was evacuated for hospitalization at Boulogne on the 19th of August, and from here was sent to England where he arrived on the 29th of August and after disembarking was admitted into the King George Hospital in London suffering from wounds to his spine causing paraplegia with his condition noted as seriously ill.

There would be no improvement for Edward and he succumbed to the wounds he had received in France on the 19th of September and following his passing, he was formally interred withing Kensal Green (St. Mary's) Roman Catholic Cemetery, Hammersmith, London.

Back in Australia the supreme sacrifice made by Driver Edward Kiernan during the ‘Great War’ at the age of 19, was privately commemorated at the Kiernan family’s collective burial site within Melbourne General Cemetery, Victoria.