EDWARDS, William Bertrand
| Service Number: | 5436 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Sapper |
| Last Unit: | 5th Field Company Engineers |
| Born: | Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, Australia, 25 June 1894 |
| Home Town: | Bacchus Marsh, Moorabool, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Parwan School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Clerk/ Private Secretary |
| Died: | Glen Iris, Victoria, Australia, 27 January 1964, aged 69 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 17 Dec 1915: | Involvement Sapper, 5436, 5th Field Company Engineers, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Berrima embarkation_ship_number: A35 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Dec 1915: | Embarked Sapper, 5436, 5th Field Company Engineers, HMAT Berrima, Sydney |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Bronwyn Higgs
Born in Bacchus Marsh in 1894, William "Bill" Bertrand Edwards was the son of Thomas Edwards, a farmer and wheelwright and his wife, Honora Jane Edwards, both of Bacchus Marsh.
Bill was one of three brothers who enlisted in the AIF during World War One. All three returned home safely.
William was employed as a clerk when he enlisted at Melbourne in the AIF, 2nd Reinforcements, 5th Field Company, Engineers, on the 12th of November 1915, aged 21. He had previously served two years with the Citizen Forces, 63rd Battalion and six months with the 30th Army Corps.
He embarked from Sydney aboard the HMAT A35 Berrima in December, arriving in Egypt in early 1916 and transferring to the 12th Field Company, Engineers. Bill disembarked at Marseilles, France in June 1916. He had a week in hospital with synovitis to the right knee in September and again in November. In January 1917 Bill was attached for duty, for ten days, with 4th Division, Headquarters and promoted to Lance Corporal, reverting to Sapper when he rejoined his unit.
William was given three weeks leave in England in September 1918. After rejoining his unit he returned to England in February 1919, embarking for Australia aboard the Commonwealth in April, returning to Australia in June, 1919 and discharged from the AIF in August.
During the war, he wrote to his parents describing scenes in Egypt and part of that correspondence was published in the The Bacchus Marsh Express, Saturday 1 April 1916 (See documents).
After the war, Bill worked as a private secretary. He married Ella Christina Townsend and the couple had two children, Harry (b. 1920) and Ella (b. 1925).
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