Frederick E. Edwards 130744 1 Special Company, Royal Engineers, MM 1918

[Ivor Anderson]

Frederick Edward Edwards 1894-1961 - Corporal / A/Sgt no.130744 1 Special Company, Royal Engineers  

Special Companies of the Royal Engineers were formed to deal with the German use of gas and also Flamethrowers.

Previously - Private 4223 6th Northumberland Fusiliers

 

Born: All Saints, Newcastle, 10 November 1894 (1939 Census)

1901 Census: 84 Southey Street, Gateshead. Parents Edward (43) & Marie (30)

1911 Census: 116 Mill Lane, Newcastle Upon Tyne. Coal men driver aged 16

 

Enlisted June 1915 - Address: 43 Mill Lane, Newcastle Upon Tyne 

Home 30-06-1915 to 09-11-1915

Arrived in France 11 November 1915

BEF France 10-11-1915 to 16-03-1916

Promoted Lance Corporal No. 1 Special Company, 5 March 1917

23 August 1917 Company heavily shelled - 11 pm & midnight. 7 Ors killed & 5 wounded.

24 September 1917 2 ORs killed & 8 wounded on carrying party.

 

Wounded in action near Arras due to shelling - 1 December 1917 - '3 ORs died of wounds, 2 officers & 17 ORs wounded'. (Service record states ‘Remains at duty’)

M.M. London Gazette 23 February 1918 (XVII Corps A.C./295 - 7/12/17) - MM Inscription: ‘130744 2. CPL F. E. EDWARDS. NO. 1 SPEC: COY. R.E.’ (Schedule no. 142994).

 

Promoted Corporal 31 August 1918

Transferred to Z Reserve 9 February 1919. Entitled to 1914-15 Star, BWM & VM

 

Married Anna Watson Newcastle Upon Tyne Q2 1920

1939 Census: 46 Maughan Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, builder’s labourer. Wife Annie b.20 May 1897, son James b.24 November 1919, Ronald b.10 January 1925

Died: Newcastle Upon Tyne - Q1 1961 aged 66

 

Edited 13 May , 2020 by Ivor Anderson
Additional information

[Ivor Anderson]

From War Diary of No. 1 Special Company, Royal Engineers for 1st December 1917 (National Archives):

  

Edited 13 May , 2020 by Ivor Anderson

[Ivor Anderson]

'Wounded 1-12-17' & MM award XVII Corps reference for 7-12-17. Extracts from his Service Record on Ancestry:

 

Edited 13 May , 2020 by Ivor Anderson

[Terry_Reeves]

Ivor

 

Thanks for posting.  I have his name in my Db as it happens but I have not got round to the detail as yet, so your post has saved me some work. Last year I extracted all the names that appeared in the war diaries of the brigade and have begun checking out the names of those (unnamed) listed as killed.  I have over a thousand names in the Db so far and know of at least twice that many.

 

Just out of interest 130743 Samuel Smalley of No 2 Coy was also the recipient of the MM. He survived but had his left leg amputated.

 

If I can help anytime please let me know.

 

TR

Edited 13 May , 2020 by Terry_Reeves

[Ivor Anderson]

Thanks Terry,

 

I just purchased his MM this morning, but did this research before hand. These men deserve to be remembered for their hard earned medals.

This site gives a great opportunity to preserve their record and share it with others. No point in us all duplicating research!

 

Do the XVII Corps have a war diary for December 1917 to see the MM entry for him? I could only find March, April in the National Archives?

 

Ivor

Edited 13 May , 2020 by Ivor Anderson

[Terry_Reeves]

Ivor

 

 WO95/939/6 1 July 1917- 31 Dec 1917. It’s under 17 Corps, not XVII Corps. His name appears with other SB men awarded the MM but there is no citation

 

 

TR

Edited 13 May , 2020 by Terry_Reeves

[Ivor Anderson]

Thanks Terry,

Not sure how I missed that - the free lockdown access to the NA is great! There were quite a few Special Company awards in December 1917:

 

Edited 13 May , 2020 by Ivor Anderson

[Ivor Anderson]

It arrived this morning - I could feel the history - in great condition too:

 

[Terry_Reeves]

Nice one Ivor.

 

TR

[Ivor Anderson]

The MM of James Bailey 147267, also from no. 1 Special Co. RE (schedule no. 142998), which was awarded in the same gazette as Frederick Edwards:

(James Bailey also served as 9999, K. Shropshire L.I., and went to France 11.09.1914) He was from Cardiff. His MM is very worn.

 

Edited 14 July , 2020 by Ivor Anderson

[Terry_Reeves]

I have him in my Db. Admitted 51 Field Ambulance 18.20.16. His MM is noted in 17 Corps A&Q diary , WO 95/939/6

 

TR

[Ivor Anderson]

Thanks Terry. I posted the award list in post 7 above. He was transferred to 5 Mortar Battalion RE. Was that connected with no. 1 Spec. Co. RE?

James' MIC off Ancestry (he was entitled to the trio, inc. 1914-15 star):

Edited 13 July , 2020 by Ivor Anderson

[Terry_Reeves]

Ivor yes. 5th Bn consisted of four companies.

 

TR