Branch of Service

Army

Conflict

World War I (1914-1918)

Date of Enlistment

01/12/1915

Date of Discharge

03/04/1918

Place of Enlistment

Bathurst NSW

Gender

Male

Date of Birth

08/08/1875

Place of Birth

Port Adelaide, South Australia

Address (at enlistment)

Brewarrina NSW (previously the Power House, Canberra ACT)

Occupation

Cook

Next of Kin

Mary Edwards (wife), Bourke Street, Brewarrina NSW

Service Number

2519

Final Rank

Private

Final Unit

54 Battalion AIF

Edwards worked as a cook at the Kangaroo Café at Acton from 1913 until taking over the Power House Mess in February 1914. Stan O'Grady was his assistant. He left the Mess in June 1914 and by the time he enlisted in December 1915 he was living in Brewarrina in outback New South Wales. He claimed to be only 36 but he was actually 40 years of age. He embarked in Sydney in June 1916, but failed to return from shore leave when his ship stopped over in Melbourne. Though labelled a deserter, Edwards surrendered a few days later and sailed for England with the 5th reinforcements to the 54th Battalion. He joined his unit in France in December 1916 but was wounded by shrapnel in February 1917 near Gueudecourt in the Somme region. After treatment in England he returned to Australia and was discharged as medically unfit in April 1918. Edwards lived in Queensland after the war and died in Toowoomba on 14 July 1956.

Description - height 5 feet 8 inches, weight 161 pounds, dark complexion, brown eyes, dark greying hair going slightly bald, Church of England.

WWI Nominal Roll http://www.awm.gov.au/nominalrolls/ww1
AWM First World War Unit Embarkation Rolls
NAA (A361) DSG17/438 Appointment of Cooks at various Messes - Federal Territory
National Archives (A206) Volume 9 [Federal Capital (Yass-Canberra district). Copies of correspondence, reports etc subsequent to passing of 'Seat of Government Surrender Act 1909 (NSW)' and 'Seat of Government Acceptance Act 1909 (Commonwealth)'] - folio 95, 1913 FCT Census (listed under 'Canberra')
National Archives (A207) G1915/125 Leased Property in the Federal Territory
NAA RecordSearch - Series B2455 (First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920)