Edward Dudley Mann

Edward Dudley Mann

Personal Information
Date of Birth	c1891
Place of Birth	Creswick, Victoria
Death	24 May 1973, aged 83
Place of Death	Como, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	26 years, 6 months
Description	5'5½" (1.66m) tall ; 156 lbs 70.76 kg ; ruddy complexion ; brown eyes ; chestnut hair
Occupation	Labourer
Religion	Methodist
Address	Ballarat, Victoria
Next of Kin	Father , Mr William Mann
Military Information
Reg Number	4830
Date of Enlistment	12 Nov 1915
Rank	Lance Corporal
Unit/Formation	8th Battalion, 15th Reinforcements / 2nd Brigade, 1st Division
Date of Embarkation	7 Mar 1916 ‒ 23 Apr 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A18 Wiltshire Melbourne to Port Suez
Date of Return	12 Jul 1919 ‒ 6 Sep 1919
Ship Returned On	SS Indarra
Fate	Wounded in Action 8 May 1917 at 2nd Bullecourt Wounded in Action 13 Apr 1918 at Hazebrouck Returned to Australia
Monument	Armadale War Memorial (Bedfordale panel) Bedfordale Roll of Honour Armadale and Districts Roll of Honour
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Electoral Roll entries - 1915 a mechanic living at 148 Claisbrook road, East Perth.

War Service

Edward enlisted in Ballarat while visiting family, entered Broadmeadows camp on 13 Jan 1916 and was allocated to the 15th reinforcement draft for the 8th Battalion.

While completing his training with the 3rd Training Battalion at Tidworth in England, he passed a musketry training course. Proceeded to France on 29 Aug 1916 and while in the 1st Division Base Depot in Étaples, was appointed Lance Corporal until he joined his unit.

Joined the 8th Battalion in the front line trenches of the Ypres Salient, Belgium on 10 Sep 1916. Appointed Lance Corporal on 19 Dec 1916. The 8th Battalion's war diary records that on the 8th May 1917, when Edward was wounded, they were in the front line, occupying OG2 to the right of Bullecourt in the Somme district. At noon, and again in the evening, after two attacks on their line had been repulsed, they were heavily shelled by the Germans. Following the 9:15pm attack by the Germans, a bombing fight ensued and given Edward's first set of wounds were described as bomb wounds to both legs - severe, this is possibly when he was wounded.

He was treated in turn by the 3rd Field Ambulance, the 3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station on 9 May 1917, placed aboard Ambulance Train No 28 on 10 May 1917 for the 3rd Canadian General Hospital (Boulogne), and finally evacuated on 14 May 1917 aboard HMHS St Andrew for England where he was admitted next day to the Kitchener Military Hospital. Mending, he spent from 22 Aug to 12 Sep 1917 in the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford, and command depots in Weymouth (12 Sep - 26 Oct 1917) and Sutton Veny (26 Oct - 27 Dec 1917) before returning overseas via the Overseas Training Brigade at Longbridge Deverill on 17 Jan 1918 through Southampton. He rejoined his battalion on 24 Jan 1918.

On that day the 8th Battalion had just been released from the front line at Wulverghem, midway between Ypres and Armentieres. Edward was wounded a second time with a gun shot wound to his left foot on 13 Apr 1918 when his unit was engaged on road works in the Villers-au-Flos area 3 Kilometers south east of the Bapaume town centre. The unit diary does not record any casualties for the day but he was subsequently treated by the 2nd Field Ambulance, the next day by the 15th Casualty Clearing Station, and on the 15th by the 14th General Hospital at Wimereux. Evacuated to the UK again, this time on the HS Pieter de Coninck on 17 Apr 1918.

In the UK on 18 Apr 1918 he was admitted to the Lakenham Military Hospital, before being transferred on 17 May 1918 to 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital Harefield until 22 Apr 1918, and then No 3 Command Depot Hurdcott before he again rejoined the 8th Battalion in France via the Overseas Training Brigade at Longbridge Deverill (27 Jul - 21 Aug 1918) on 26 Aug 1918. On 5 Oct 1918 he was detached to the 2nd Division's Infantry School of Instruction until after the Armistice. Granted leave in Paris from 6 - 24 Dec 1918 he remained with his battalion until 16 Mar 1919. From 17 - 25 Mar 1919 he was in the 40th Stationary Hospital being treated for pharyngitis after which he returned to England.

"...sailed from Victoria with the 15th reinforcements of the 8th Battalion on 7th March, 1916. Was promoted to Corporal on Salisbury Plains; went to France in August, 1916, and was slightly wounded in one of the many fights that have taken place there."

Discharged by the 3 Military District on 29 Oct 1919.

Award Commentary

Complimentary Mention for participating in a very successful raid on the enemy trenches on 30th September 1916.

Post War

Married while in the UK to 25 year old Harriet Dobson on 29 Jun 1918 at Lewes in Sussex. No children registered in WA before 1932. Harriet died aged 78 in Victoria Park on 19 Nov 1971.

Electoral Roll entries - 1934 with Harriet at 47 Ida street Bassendean, a fitter and turner; 1937 - 1954 at 50 Railway avenue, Bassendean, a mechanic; 1954 has moved to 62 Manchester street, Victoria Park, a turner. When he died on 24 May 1973 his address was listed as Como.

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Virtual War Memorial