Life story retold by Paul Beecroft
685 PRIVATE E. STEPHENSON
38TH BN. AUSTRALIAN INF. 23.10.18 22
Edgar STEPHENSON was born in Curran’s Creek near Crookwell, New South Wales in August 1893. His parents were Benjamin, a farmer, and Rebecca STEPHENSON. Edgar had five siblings – Annie Jane (1884), William Arthur (1886), Jessie (1888), Maude (1890) and Lily (1896). His mother Rebecca died when he was just 6 years old.
Edgar was educated at Curran’s Creek Public School and on leaving he worked as a labourer.
On September 19th, 1916, at the age of 23 he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force. His army number was 41350. He was then posted to ‘C’ Company, Depot Battalion and then went through several transfers. On October 11th he transferred to ‘E’ Company, 59th Battalion. On October 27th he transferred to ‘D’ Company 55th Battalion and finally transferred to 7th Reinforcements, 60th Battalion on October 30th.
On November 3rd he embarked from Sydney on HMAT Afric with the 7th Reinforcements but became ill on November 7th and was forced to disembark in Adelaide and be placed in isolation although no reason is shown in his service papers.
On January 1st 1917, he once again transferred and joined the Machine Gun Reinforcements and was also given a new army service number of 685. He was then posted to the Machine Gun Depot on January 17th.
Edgar remained in Australia until June 21st 1917 and then embarked from Melbourne on HMAT Suevic with the 8th Machine Gun Company, 12th Reinforcements and arrived in Liverpool, England on August 26th. He then went to Hurdcott in Wiltshire for further training with the 8th Training Battalion. On November 5th he left the 8th Training Battalion and transferred to the 15th Training Battalion at Codford in Wiltshire.
On December 18th he left Codford, travelled to Southampton and sailed to France with the 38th Battalion arriving the following day and marched to the Australian Infantry Base Depot at Rouelles. He was only there a short time for on the 21st he was sent to the Front.
Edgar is thought to have spent most of his time in the trenches in both France and Belgium. On August 8th 1918 the 38th were involved in what was known as the Battle of Amiens or the Third Battle of Picardy. On August 10th the 38th were involved in an attack that failed to capture the village of Proyart in the Somme Valley. On September 29th the Battle of St. Quentin Canal commenced. The objective was to break through one of the most heavily defended stretches of the Hindenburg Line. On this day Edgar was wounded in action when he was gassed.
There are differing reports as to exactly where Edgar was when he was gassed. One report states it occurred at Polygon Wood, which is of course in Belgium. His service papers do not confirm exactly where he was.
He was admitted to 132nd Field Ambulance suffering from Mustard Gas poisoning and then moved to the 1st Australian General Hospital at Rouen. The following day he was transferred to the 12th Casualty Clearing Station and then on October 3rd he embarked on the Hospital Ship West Australian and was evacuated to England.
On October 5th, Edgar was admitted to No. 4, Reading War Hospital. His medical form states “Severely gassed, Conjunctivitis, Pharyngitis, Laryngitis, extensive burns of 2nd degree on thighs, scrotum and forehead.”
Edgar sadly deteriorated, developing Pneumonia and died on October 23rd from Mustard Gas poisoning, Influenza and Pneumonia. He was 25 years old.
Edgar was buried in Reading Old Cemetery on October 26th. He was accorded a Military funeral with a bugler who sounded the Last Post. His coffin was draped with the Union Jack and flowers sent from the Matron of Reading War Hospital.
He is commemorated on the Screen Wall in Reading Old Cemetery but unfortunately it shows his age as 22, which is not correct. He is further commemorated on the Roll of Honour, located in the Hall of Memory Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia and the Crookwell War Memorial in Memorial Park, Spring & Marsden Streets, Crookwell, New South Wales.
Division 71-72, War Plot