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Walter Edmund Swan EDGAR MC

EDGAR

Date of birth7 July 1891
PlaceEdenhope, Victoria, Australia
ParentsJohn Thomas and Margaret (nee Swan) Edgar
Date of death24 August 1942
PlaceBourke Hospital, Bourke, New South Wales, Australia
Age51
Scotch Year(s)1908 to 1909

Service record and post-war life

‘Swanny’ Edgar was a 23-year-old grazier when he enlisted on 9 February 1915. He was allotted as a Private to the 1st Reinforcements to the 8th Light Horse Regiment with Regimental Number 676. He sailed from Australia in February 1915. On 9 April he was admitted to hospital sick (see below) but was able to sail for the Gallipoli campaign on 16 April. He contracted haemorrhoids at Anzac in July and was evacuated to Malta. In September he was sent to Egypt and not until 9 November 1915 was he able to return to Gallipoli. His Old Boy brother Otho also served on Gallipoli until he was wounded and returned to Australia.

Walter returned to Egypt after the evacuation from Gallipoli. He was hospitalised again for a week in March 1916 with parotitis (inflammation of the glands). On 1 May he was promoted to Temporary Corporal but lost that rank when on 31 May he transferred to the recently-formed 57th Battalion. He achieved a dramatic promotion on 1 June, when he became a 2nd Lieutenant seconded to the 15th Training Battalion. He sailed for France later that month. In July he participated in the battle of Fromelles. In the aftermath of that battle, hundreds of wounded Australians were left in No Man’s Land. He took out groups of men to bring in wounded under fire. For this ‘great daring’ he received a Military Cross. On 4 October, his rapid promotion was vindicated when he was made a full Lieutenant.

On 12 May 1917 Walter was wounded in action, receiving a gunshot wound to the right forearm. He was evacuated to England. He returned to the 57th Battalion in France on 20 July 1917. He attended schools of instruction in September and November 1917. On New Year’s Day 1918 he was promoted Captain. Within five days Walter was admitted to hospital with bronchitis. He returned to the unit 11 days later. After 11 days’ leave in Paris, he went to another school in August 1918. A few days after returning at the end of September he was sent on 4 October to England for duty with the 15th Training Battalion. His service record contains a record of him being censured for being late returning from leave on a Sunday. Walter returned to Australia on 10 December 1918. He was demobilised in April 1919.

Walter continued work as a grazier. During World War II he was in the Volunteer Defence Corps. He died of heart problems at Bourke, New South Wales. It is possible that his death during World World II may be a death while on service in 1942.

Photographs and Documents:

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Swanny Edgar was ill in April and July 1915

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Recommendation for Swanny Edgar’s Military Cross

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Photo of Swanny Edgar from the 1917 Collegian

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Captain Swanny Edgar

Sources:

  1. Australian War Memorial – Honours and Awards
  2. Mishura Scotch Database
  3. National Archives of Australia – B2455, EDGAR W E S
  4. Scotch Collegian 1917
  5. The AIF Project - https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=88339

Page last updated: 11 November 2015