287 Private Harold Edwards MM
10th Battalion AIF
by Robert Simpson
Harold Edwards was born on 4th November 1882 in the suburb of Caversham in Dunedin, New Zealand, a son to Frank and Mary Ann Fitzgerald Edwards (nee Innes). Not much else is known about his parents. They are listed in the 1913 Electoral Roll at 59 Bondi Road with Frank a clerk, Mary Ann doing domestic duties with brothers’ Rupert Lionel, a soldier and Edgar Albert, an agent. Rupert had been born in Bathurst, New South Wales in 1890, so they must have moved there before that. Edgar was born in New Zealand and registered in 1885. Harold had another brother, Algernon Walter Edwards, born in Dunedin, New Zealand in April 1886. It is not known if there are any more family members. Nothing else is found for his parents.
59 Bondi Road, Bondi (house on the right)
Portrait of Mary Ann Edwards, his mother.
Edgar first appears in Australian records in the 1930 electoral roll, living at 73 Glenmore Road Paddington, with the occupation of a salesman. In the 1931 roll, he had moved to 68½ Brougham Street Darlinghurst and was a clerk. In the 1934, 1935, 1936 and 1937 rolls, he had moved to 61 Womerah Avenue. In the 1943 roll, he had moved to 65 Victoria Street in Darlinghurst and was still a clerk. He was still there in 1949 and in the 1954 and 1958 rolls. He died on 20th July 1959 at Potts Point Sydney, as recorded in the Sydney Morning Herald on the 23rd.
Another brother, Mervyn Montague Edwards had been born in Ballarat on 15th August 1888, baptised at All Saints Cathedral, Bathurst on 27th February 1889, but passed away in 1889.
Algernon married Lucy Allen (born 1876) on 4th October 1913 in Sydney. In the 1930 electoral roll, they were living at 23 Wentworth Street Manly and he was a draper. They were still there in the 1931 and 1933 records. By the 1934 roll, they had moved to 64 Bayswater Road Darlinghurst. The 1934 roll also has him only at Central Hotel, Inverell, as does the 1935 roll have both entries. The 1936 and 37 rolls have them both at Bayswater Road. In the 1943 roll, he is by himself at Coolah Valley Hotel. By the 1949 roll, he is at 187 Cavendish Street Petersham and has no occupation. In the 1954 roll, he was still there. Nothing else can be found for either of them after that.
Rupert was born in 1890 in Bathurst. His WW2 record gives the date as 20th December, but has the year as 1892, so obviously he was trying to take a couple of years off his age. Rupert enlisted in the 7th Light Horse Regiment at Liverpool on 2nd October 1914 as Trooper 479 (888 was originally written and then crossed out), but he gave his name as Rupert John Edwards. He was a horse-breaker, aged 24 9/12 years old and his next of kin was listed as father R J Edwards of Bondi Road, Bondi. He had previously served 2 years and 10 months with Pers. Rem. Depot. He was assigned to C Squadron at Holdsworthy on 1st December. In February 1915, he was promoted to Lance Corporal. In July 1915, he was punished with 14 days detention for disobeying and officer’s order and being AWOL and he was reduced to Trooper. He landed at ANZAC on 6th August 1915. By the time he landed at Gallipoli, the 7th Light Horse was fighting a defensive battle there. In September 1916, he was admitted to hospital with a dose of gonorrhoea. He was detached to Railway Construction Company in July 1917, before re-joining his regiment at the end of the month. In June 1918, he had malaria. He was again promoted to Lance Corporal and returned to Australia in November 1918 and was discharged in March 1919. Edwards obituary mentions Rupert being awarded three Mentioned in Despatches, but there is no record in his service records or on the AWM site to confirm this.
A letter from him written in 1945, clarified his middle name, saying that the clerk had got it wrong initially. He must have returned his medals for correction, saying they were stamped R J Edwards and one was as a Lance Corporal with the other two Trooper. He had also applied for a new returned soldiers’ badge, having lost his first one. Rupert was entitled to the standard WW1 trio. In WW2, he enlisted as N278913 with 3 Aux H/T Company on 14th August 1941 at Paddington while living at Kensington NSW. He was a horse-breaker, was single and advised of his WW1 service. His next of kin was his brother Edward, an estate agent at Kings Cross. His permanent address was 9 Bowral Street Kensington. In September 1943, he was transferred to the AASC Park. Rupert was discharged as a Private in Central Ordnance Depot AAOC Sydney, on 31st January 1945. In 1948, he was living at 52 Paddington Street and had no occupation. He passed away on 20th January 1962. Rupert is buried in Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park at Plot: A12A-Anglican FM 12A-195.
Another brother Leonard L Edwards was born in Sydney in 1892 but passed away in 1893.
Harold enlisted on 19th August 1914 at Morphettville, South Australia as Private 287 in A Company, 10th Battalion AIF. He was listed as a 31 year and 9 month machinist, born at Dunedin New Zealand. His father Frank, at 59 Bondi Road was his next of kin. He was not an apprentice, not married, had not been convicted nor had he been discharged dishonourably. He listed his current service as “Australian Rifles also Light Horse”. His description noted he was 5 foot 6 inches tall, weighed 134 pounds, had a chest measurement of 37 inches and was of fresh complexion with brown eyes and black hair. His religious denomination was Church of England. He had vaccine marks, a scar on the rear of his neck, and a tattoo on his right shoulder and left forearm. The doctor certified him fit for active service on that day.
In the Nominal Roll of the 10th Battalion, A Company, Harold is listed as 287 Private, aged 31, a machinist and single. His address was care of Mrs Pippett, Mary Street Unsley, South Australia and his next of kin was his father, Frank Edwards at 59 Bondi Road, Bondi, in Sydney, New South Wales. His religion was Church of England and he enlisted on 19th August 1914. He was paid the standard daily rate of 5 shillings. The Battalion embarked on HMAT Ascanius A11 at Adelaide on 20th October 1914. They arrived in Egypt in early December. On 2nd March 1915, they embarked on Ionian at Alexandria to join the MEF going to Gallipoli. The Battalion was one of the first to land at Gallipoli and was involved heavily in establishing and defending he front line. In his records, Harold was wounded sometime between 25th and 29th April on Gallipoli. From the Gascon, he was admitted to No 2 General Hospital on 30th April with a bayonet wound to the right leg and transferred to Helouan Convalescent Camp, being admitted there on 13th May.
On 1st September 1915, he was admitted to No 1 Australian General Hospital with conjunctivitis. An entry from the Convalescent Hospital at Helouan says admitted with bayonet wound leg & eye on 10th September. He was then admitted to Zeitoun with a bayonet wound to the leg on 29th September. Harold re-joined his Battalion at ANZAC from hospital on 25th October 1915. Two entries on 4th November 1915 say to Hospital sick and Fractured Fibula admitted to No 1 Australian Casualty Clearing Station. From there, he was sent to Hospital Ship Neuralia at ANZAC with a dislocated peronia on 9th November. (A Peroneal tendon dislocation, another entry says slight.) He was then admitted to 2nd Australian General Hospital at Ghezireh on 12th November and transferred to Zeitoun on 13th November for light duty. Harold was still there on 9th December and was then sent to No 2 A.C.D. at Cairo on 20th December, where he was admitted with a dislocated tendon. He was then discharged to duty on 2nd January 1916.
A postcard from Rupert saying “To my dear Mother & Father with Love. Photo taken 1 week after Harry wounded. getting on well. I am off, to the front at last, Farewell Rupert.” He also sent a photo of himself to his brother James. Another photo below of them at the pyramids.
Rupert wrote on the back of the postcards “Dear Mother received your letters & Dads. I’m like Jonny Walker still going strong & in great trim. I weighed 12 stone 2 weeks after return to Egypt as the Photo on the Camel shows. We are out in Asia Monir Desert scouting and Patrolling. The Dust Storms, Heat & Flies are very bad our ration consists of Bully Beef Biscuits & Dates & Prunes & Muscatels which are Plentiful in the desert countries & Although I would not like to go home until the war is over, We all wish it was and were out of the Desert Uncivilised country. Howard left Egypt & must be back at Adelaide by now. He told me he would come home. I took table centres my saddle & Turkish Bullets & shrapnel. I hope you like the Table-centres. We had them specially made with the designs. I am glad to get the saddle home also belt it was on Gallipoli with transports. We are about to move away to Jaruselem [sic] Palestine, Baghdad way now. Hoping you are in good health & remember me to all with love. I remain your loving son Rupert.”
Harold returned to Australia on 20th January 1916, still a Private with the 10th Battalion. He embarked at Suez on HS Karoola on that day with a “dislocated right leg” to Australia for discharge. He was discharged in the 4th Military District (wounded) on 16th August 1916.
On 10th August 1916, Harold married Beryl Ilma Sarah Constance Johns at St John’s Church in Adelaide. Beryl was a daughter to Richard James Johns (1846-1909) and Annie Dalcan (1855-1924), who had married in Adelaide on 13th June 1874 and had been born on 24th June 1891 in Queenstown, South Australia.
Lieutenant E Hughes, S.O. returned soldiers in the 4th Military District, sent a letter to Base Records on 2nd September 1916 from Keswick Barracks in Adelaide advising them that Harold had been granted his discharge and he was sending Medical Board proceedings and other documents to them. The letter contained details of Harold and included the reason for discharge- medical unfit (not for misconduct), total service of 1 year 364 days and 1 year 126 days abroad and he was of good character. A previous letter, dated 18th August had been sent advising them of his discharge on 16th August 1916. He was discharged from the AIF at Adelaide as medically unfit, with his disability a displacement of the peroneal tendon of the right foot. The Medical Report showed: – “….He says he received bayonet wound in the right leg on 25th April, 1915. In crawling back to dressing station he fell down a cliff and sustained present injury…..He is lame in right leg and has a displacement of peroneal tendon forward.”
Harold was awarded the Military Medal, the details were published in the London Gazette of 26th May 1917 on page 5196 at position 19. On 16th November 1917, Base Records sent Mr F Edwards of 59 Bondi Rd Bondi a letter stating they had much pleasure in sending him a “copy of extract from Fourth Supplement No. 30095 to the London Gazette dated 25th May, 1917, relating to the conspicuous services rendered by No. 287 Private H. Edwards, 10th Battalion.” It outlined how the King was pleased to award Harold the Military Medal for bravery in the Field.
An article in the Sydney Mail of 19th June 1918 had an article and picture of Harold on page 21 as shown above.
“PRIVATE H. EDWARDS, M.M., who was decorated with the Military Medal on Anzac Day by Sir Henry Galway, Governor of South Australia, is a son of Mr. F. Edwards, of 59 Bondi-road, Bondi, Sydney, and was one of the first Australians to be awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field at the historic landing at Gaba Tepe, on April 25, 1915. He followed mining pursuits in the West Maitland and Kurri Kurri districts, where he was identified with the Manchester Unity Oddfellows, being secretary and past grandmaster of the order prior to 1911. At the time he enlisted Private Edwards was engaged in accountancy work at Adelaide, and on his return received an appointment in the South Australian Civil Service, and has now been appointed to a permanent position in the Education Department. The deed that won Edwards the M.M. is thus recorded: — ‘When the Turks were first driven back by the 10th A.I.F. they were temporarily lost sight of, and it was necessary before pushing forward that information should be obtained of their strength and positions. That they were in the vicinity was obvious, since bullets were dropping round the exhausted Australians. Edwards went out to scout, and penetrated the enemy’s lines, pushing some distance along the Peninsula. Within half an hour of the landing he obtained sufficient information to enable the officer in command to reorganise the Australians and proceed with the advance. A brother of Private Edwards, another Anzac, is in Palestine.”
The Sydney Morning Herald of Tuesday 4th June 1918 on page 9 had an article on “AUSTRALIANS HONOURED.”, which included “His Excellency Sir Henry Galway, Governor of South Australia, decorated Private Harold Edwards with the Military Medal recently. Private Edwards is a son of Mr. F. Edwards, of 59 Bondi-road, Bondi, and was one of the first Australians to be awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field at the historic landing at Gaba Tepe, on the Gallipoli Peninsula, on April 25, 1915. He followed mining pursuits in the West Maitland and Kurri Kurri districts where he was identified with the Manchester Unity Oddfellows, being secretary and past grandmaster of the order prior to 1911. At the time he enlisted Private Edwards was engaged in accountancy work at Adelaide and on his return received an appointment in the South Australian Civil Service, and his now been appointed to a permanent position, in the Education Department. His brother, Trooper Rupert Edwards, another “Anzac,” is still in Palestine.”
In the book Erskineville to the Bush by Steve Langley is a passage which reads “While all of this was happening I made a number of visits to Phil and spent considerable time talking with this wonderful old fellow about his life on the river and in the Light Horse Regiment. After one such visit, I left there with gifts from Phil, comprising the original spurs he wore in his Light Horse Regiment, and two hand typed loose leaf manuscripts. One is titled “Seven and a Half Months on Gallipoli (An Original Anzacs Diary)” and “Forty Thousand Horsemen” or “Anzac Devils” both written by Sergeant Rupert L Edwards from 1914 to 1919. Phil O’Connell claimed the diary he gave me was the manuscript for the film Forty Thousand Horsemen; he said it was used to make the film of the same name starring the screen actor Chips Rafferty. I still have the spurs and manuscripts in my possession. Someday I will either give them to the Australian War Museum in Canberra or perhaps they could be used to write two novels based on the details of these books.” The only Philip O’Connell that would be suitable was Private 4696 who initially enlisted in August 1915 as a 33-year old storeman, only to ask for a discharge on request of his wife Grace Violet Mary O’Connell (nee Watts) of 6 Little Burton Street Darlinghurst in September 1915 (another record says medically unfit). He later re-joined in August 1917, originally in the 1st Battalion Pioneers, then transferring to the 53rd Battalion in January 1918. He was wounded and went AWOL a couple of times and returned home in March 1919. No Light Horse service. Letters sent to his wife at 14 Son or Sim Street Darlinghurst were returned to Base Records. The only problem is this person seems to have died in 1929? A copy of the book Seven and a half months on Gallipoli: an original Anzac’s diary by Rupert L. Edwards is held by the Melbourne University library. It was published by the author in 1920.
The Principal of Wycliffe Christian School wrote in a newsletter in 2015 “The scene is Gallipoli and the time is 3am on the 25th April 1915… The night was clear and the water was luminous and phosphorescent in the eerie light of the stars. A crescent moon rode the star spangled sky like a sentinel keeping guard over the land … Closer to the shore crept the boats. A mile from the shore the pinnaces cast loose, and tied together in lines the boys commenced to use the oars. Then came the never ending breathless suspense as they glided forward like phantoms in the boats, in uncanny silence, broken only by the faint splash of oars and the soft murmur of the surf … At last the crack of a Turkish rifle indicated that they had been discovered by the Turkish outposts. Suddenly the night’s silence was shattered by the ruthless clatter of machine guns and rifles, and the deafening drumfire of artillery. Pandemonium reigned and a carnage of death greeted the oncoming dawn …Excerpt from original ANZAC, Sergeant Rupert Edwards, who arrived the first day of the Gallipoli campaign and was one of the last evacuated some seven and a half months later. Sergeant Rupert Edwards was my great uncle on my mother’s side. He served four years active unbroken service abroad in the First World War, and three and a half years active service on the Pacific front during World War II.”
More pictures of Rupert and a note on him.
No information can be found on James Edwards, no birth, death or service records in the Royal Navy.
Harold and Beryl had five children. Thelma Beryl was born on 12th May 1917 in Rose Park, Adelaide. Mary was born on 2nd February 1919 in Prospect, Adelaide. Frederick Edward Fitzgerald was born on 4th June 1922 in Cumberland, Adelaide. Richard Lionel was born on 19th November 1924 in Cumberland, Adelaide. Frederick and Richard got themselves in trouble with the law, as they appear in the 1937 South Australia Police Gazette. Their entries read: – “RICHARD LIONEL EDWARDS (11), on complaint, charged with the unlawful possession of a tumbling mouse, a beach ball, a fancy candle, two dozen packet caps, a pair of salt and pepper shakers, etc., at Rose Park; released under the Offenders Probation Act, to be of good behaviour for one year and placed under the supervision of a probation officer. Evidence obtained by Det. McGrath, F.C. Fry, and P.C. Vogelesang. Tried at Adelaide on 10/2/37.-(c.1884.). FREDERICK EDWARD FITZGERALD EDWARDS (13), on complaint, charged with the unlawful possession of a string of imitation pearls, a cake of soap and container, a pair of field glasses, three electric torches, &c., at Rose Park; released under the Offenders Probation Act, to be of good behaviour for one year and to be under the supervision of a probation officer. Evidence obtained by Det. McGrath, F.C. Fry, and P.C. Vogelesang. Tried at Adelaide on 10/2/37-(C.1885.)”
Nothing else is known about Thelma or Mary.
Frederick enlisted in Sydney during WW2, on 8th November 1941 as 420460 in the RAAF. He stated he was an invoice clerk, and had been fined 2/6 for jay-walking. He trained in Australia before going to Canada for further training. He was discharged on 11th February 1946 as a Flying Officer with 130 Squadron. He had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with the record promulgated on 27th April 1945 in the London Gazette. The citation read “Flying Officer Edwards has achieved fine results during a large number of operational missions. On many occasions he has been first to sight enemy aircraft and had led the rest of his formation into the attack. Flying Officer Edwards has himself destroyed four enemy aircraft, much enemy transport and has set a fine example to his fellow pilots.” His next of kin was listed as his wife, Catherine Annabelle Edwards, living in Scotland. Catherine was a LACW. After training on many planes, he flew Spitfires. His father was to be notified if he died. His full service record is online. He was entitled to the DFC, 1939-45 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal, 1939-45 Medal and Australian Service Medal. After the war, they were living in Coogee in the 1949 electoral roll at 18A Carr Street and was a salesman. Another entry for the same year has him living at 198 Oxford Street in East Sydney, as a clerk. In the 1954 roll, he was still living at Carr Street with the same occupation, but Catherine was not there. By the 1958 roll, he was living at 109 Ramsgate Avenue at Bondi Beach and was a driver. He had the same details in the 1963 roll. On 20th May 1968, he passed away in Sydney. Probate was granted on 19th September 1968, with records held at Western Sydney Record Centre, Kingswood. Catherine lived in Sydney for a while, before moving to Western Australia, between 1972 and 1977. It is not known what happened to her after 1980.
Frederick Edward Fitzgerald Edwards 402460
Picture of Richard Lionel and Frederick Edward Fitzgerald Edwards.
Richard joined the navy in WW2 as Ordinary Seaman II S6746, reporting for duty on 15th June 1942. His home port was Sydney. Richard served on many ships and shore bases, as noted in his service record. He was discharged at HMAS Rushcutter on 12th December 1945 with the rank of TELEG. In the 1949 electoral roll, he was living at 9 Vernon Street Burwood NSW and was a trainee tailor. Richard married Audrey Edith Upcroft and their marriage was recorded in 1950 as being in Auburn, Sydney; in NSW Births, Marriages and Deaths, with registration number 17560. By the 1954 roll, they had moved to 20 Virgil Avenue Sefton and he was a tailor. Audrey was also living at that address doing home duties. They were still there in the 1958 roll. By the 1963 roll, they had moved to 27 Drake Avenue Caringbah and Richard was a manager. In the 1968 and 1972 rolls, they were still at the same place. In the 1977 and 1980 rolls, they had moved to 21 Macarthur Street, Sylvania and Richard was still a manager. Richard passed away on 19th September 2000 and is buried at Innes Gardens Memorial Park at Port Macquarie. There are two records on National Archives: – ‘AUTHOR Richard Lionel Edwards : ADDRESS Sydney : TITLE OF WORK Rules of a Game McDougall’s Farmyard : TYPE OF WORK Literary : APPLICANT Richard Lionel Edwards : DATE OF APPLICATION 31 Jul 1952 : DATE COPYRIGHT REGISTERED 19 Feb 1953 : WORK ENCLOSED? No, and AUTHOR Richard Lionel Edwards : ADDRESS Sydney : TITLE OF WORK Tumbleweed : TYPE OF WORK Literary : APPLICANT Richard Lionel Edwards : DATE OF APPLICATION 31 Jul 1952 : DATE COPYRIGHT REGISTERED 12 Nov 1952 : WORK ENCLOSED? No.’ Are they his works?
Valda Jocelyn Edwards was born on 7th February 1930, married Alexander Edward Dunn in 1950 and they had three children. In the 1963 electoral roll, they were living at 92 Dudley Street Coogee, Valda was a shopkeeper and Alexander a supervising engineer. By the 1972 roll, they were living at 1 Aminya Place Baulkham Hills, Alexander was a managing engineer and Valda was doing home duties. They had moved to 104 Market Street Bankstown by the 1980 roll and Alexander was a mechanical tester. Valda only passed away on 4th August 2016.
Harold has another record file at National Archives, which contains his two Active Service Pay Books and correspondence about pay and other financial issues. Both books contain his full details and that of his father. Neither have a will in them. The pay book total added up to £202 15 shillings and is stamped Discharged and paid in full 16/8/16. A document shows he was paid £29 6s by cheque on 20th March 1916, being what he was owed from his service pay. A statement of his account shows he was in A Company of the 10th Battalion and that his total pay was £212 12s. An invalid pay of £5 was paid to him on 1st March 1916. On 14th August 1916, Keswick Barracks asked the Pay Office for discharge documents, so he could be paid and discharge finalised. A note also asked the Pay Office to cancel his pay allotment from 17th August 1916.
He filled out an application for war service leave gratuity on 28th May 1919, which included all his service details and asked for payment to be paid to Prospect Post Office in South Australia. The total amount was £6 3s. From “Thelma” Bosanquet Avenue Prospect SA, Harold wrote a letter to the Department of Defence in Melbourne in September 1919, asking if they had received the application and if they could finalise it. Two letters were sent out from the War Service Leave gratuity Section on 17th September, one acknowledging Harold’s letter and that a refund of the money order sent to the Prospect Post Office had been requested and a letter to the Postmaster asking for the Money Order No 40428 for £6 3s in favour of Mr Harold Edwards. Another letter from Harold on 28th October 1919 was asking why the delay, that he “would appreciate the amount due” and thanked them for their co-operation. On 3rd November 1919, a reply stated that the money order refund had been received and payment was being expedited. Another letter from the Complaints Department to War Service Leave Gratuity Department in Melbourne was asking about the cheque that should have been sent to him, as the money order had been sent back from the Prospect Postmaster. They wanted the matter to be finalised at an early date. That office replied on 24th November, saying that a cheque had now been forwarded to the address given in their letter.
On 18th February 1924, the Repatriation Commission in Adelaide sent Base Records a letter, returning the A. M Form B.103 relating to Private Harold Edwards 10th Battalion as the necessary action had been taken by them.
Harold wrote a letter to Base Records in Victoria on 2nd August 1939, from 273 Waymouth Street Adelaide, stating “my Discharge & war medals having been destroyed by Fire, I am writing with the purpose of ascertaining if I am able to procure others in their place. I enlisted in the A.I.F. in Aug 1914 & was attached to the 10th Batt. & went with it in October to Egypt. I served on Gallipoli & was wound twice returned to Australia in 1916 discharged on account of wounds in 1916. My Medals consist of Military, Gallipoli Star, Victory & Peace Medals. Could I get a duplicate set of Medals Yours truly, Ex Pte H Edwards 287 10th Infantry Batt. A.I.F.” He then filled out a statutory declaration stating what he had lost, and how the “cardboard box containing Medals & discharge accidently placed in rubbish heap Rubbish sent to the destructor and burned.” He also had to state his date of birth and his next of kin and noted his new address was 43 Government Road Croydon South Australia, and he sent their letter back, which outlined the costs and procedure, stating he enclosed a Money Order for the costs and wanted them supplied. He also had to sign another form, requesting the Military Medal from England and that he would pay for all costs for it. Base Records sent him a reply on 11th October 1939, stating they would proceed with sourcing the other medals, but the Victory medal had been exhausted and with war starting it may be a while to come, so they were offering a refund, which he was happy with in a reply on the same letter, written on 16th October. Harold wrote a reply to Base Records, thanking them for sending his duplicate medals and a refund for the Victory Medal as is was “unobtainable at present”, and he appreciated their “prompt & courteous attention”. They also sent him a statement of service record in lieu if his lost discharge certificate. The Repatriation Commission asked Base Records for his service records on 22nd December 1939. Base Records sent his replacement Military Medal with a letter on 4th June 1940 which had come from the Wart Office in London and was sent from Canberra. It was sent to Harold at 43 Government Road Croydon, South Australia. He had let Base Records know of the change of address and the return of the slip acknowledging the receipt of his replacement Military medal in July 1940. Harold’s new address at that time was 38 Truro Avenue, Mitcham South Australia. A letter from Base Records on 24th July 1940 stated that they had received a shipment of replacement Victory medals and for a sum of 3 shillings, a replacement could be done for him. The letter was returned with a note on the back from Harold and a postal note for 3 shillings. He signed for his duplicate 1914-15 Star and British War Medals on 31st October 1939, Military Medal on 15th July 1940, and Victory medal on 21st August 1940.
They were obviously living in Adelaide until at least late 1939. The next record that Harold appears in is the 1943 electoral roll at Randwick North in New South Wales. He was at 7 William Street and was a cleaner. Beryl was not there, but appears in the 1949 roll at 196 Oxford Street Woollahra West, East Sydney, doing home duties. In the 1954 roll she was still there. In the 1958 roll, she had moved to 18A Carr Street. Another roll for the same year has her living at 100 Market Street Bankstown. She passed away on 11th September 1976 in Greenwich, New South Wales. There are no other records for Harold.
Harold passed away on 24th July 1953 in Sydney.
Reveille of 1st September 1953 had the following obituary for Harold:
“FAMOUS ANZAC DIES
The funeral of Mr. Harold Edwards, who was a famous Anzac of World War 1, took place at Botany Cemetery on Friday, July 24, 1953. Mr. Edwards of Randwick and Adelaide, was one of the first Anzacs to land at Gallipoli with the 10th Battalion and he was the first Australian to be awarded a Military Medal for conspicuous bravery. At the early landing all his officers were shot and he volunteered and penetrated one mile into Turkish territory under heavy fire and eventually crawled back badly wounded with valuable information which enabled the 10th battalion, led by Colonel Weir, to re-organise the scattered men and advance again. Only the fact that all his officers were shot and the complication caused by disorganisation in rough scrub-covered country, robbed him of a Victoria Cross. In civilian live he had a remarkable background. He was a brilliant scholar and a champion all- round athlete. At the age of 21 he was past Grand-Master of Manchester Unity Order of Oddfellows and Public Accountant and adviser of Law in the Education Department of Adelaide. He was an expert boxer in the Newcastle and Maitland Districts and was sparring partner for Bill Squires when training for his World Title fight with Tommy Burns. He also possessed medals and won many road cycling, running, swimming, diving and football events, and old timers in Newcastle and Adelaide will remember him with pride for his brilliance. He leaves a wife Con, two sons Fred, D.F.C., of 2nd World War and famous Eastern Suburbs Australian rules footballer, and Richard, who served in the navy, and three daughters, Thelma, Mary and Valda. Also brother Rupbert (sic) who was an original Anzac, mentioned three times in despatches for bravery and was one of the last batch to leave Anzac at evacuation, serving 4½ years; and James, who was torpedoed on a minesweeper in World War 1, and after 7 days in the lifeboat, reached the Thames and London. Edgar served in the navy. Mr. Edward’s grandparents were Irish and English nobility peerage and his great grandfather fought at the Battle of Waterloo. For a while he was an official of the T.P.I. and at the funeral parlours received a nice memorial service. He will be remembered and respected by all.”
His medals are Military Medal 1914-15 Star, British War and Victory medals.
ANZAC Biographies
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