Private
Edwin Beattie
Private Edwin Beattie was born on the 10th of March 1894 in Coomera, Queensland, to Mr John Beattie and Mrs Mary Elizabeth Beattie (nee Harding) as the youngest of their 10 children.
| Service Number: | 2389 |
| Place of Enlistment: | Brisbane |
| Age of Enlistment: | 22 Years, 1 Month |
| Date Of Enlistment: | 25th of March 1916 |
| Embarked: | Brisbane, 19th of September 1916 |
| Transport Ship: | A49 HMAT Seang Choon |
| Medals: | British War Medal, Victory Medal |
| Place of Death: | Died from Illness (Pneumonia) |
| Sutton Military Hospital, England, 1st of January 1917 | |
| Resting Place: | Buried Codford St Mary Cemetery Grave No 43 |
| Wiltshire, England | |
| Unit: | 47th Australian Infantry Battalion AIF |
Private Edwin Beattie was born on the 10th of March 1894 in Coomera, Queensland to Mr John Beattie and Mrs Mary Elizabeth Beattie (nee Harding) as the youngest of their 10 children. His older siblings (from oldest to youngest) were Eliza, unnamed brother (died at birth), William, Alfred, Mary, Caroline, Alice, George (also on the Upper Coomera memorial) and Annie. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 25 March, 1916 as a 22-year-old Farmer from Coomera. I note that his older brother George enlisted just 3 days after Edwin and one cannot help but get the impression of an older brother joining up to watch over his younger sibling. Both brothers were attached to the 47th Australian Infantry Battalion AIF and neither were to return home to Australia.
The 47th Battalion was raised in Egypt on 24 February 1916 as part of the "doubling" of the AIF. Approximately half of its new recruits were Gallipoli veterans from the 15th Battalion and the other half fresh reinforcements from Australia. Reflecting the composition of the 15th, the new battalion was composed mostly of men recruited in Queensland and Tasmania.
Private Edwin Beattie was admitted to Devonport Hospital Plymouth from HMAT Seang Choon on 9th December 1916 – sick with mumps (slight). He was transferred to the Military Hospital at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire on 23 December 1916 with the diagnosis of influenza. He developed apparent signs of pneumonia on 24 December 1916.
Private Edwin Beattie died of pneumonia at 7.55 p.m. on 1 January 1917 at the Sutton Veny Military Hospital, Wiltshire. He was buried in St. Mary’s New Churchyard (also known as ANZAC Cemetery), Codford, Wiltshire, England. This cemetery contains 31 Australian and 66 New Zealand First World War graves.
Video of Private Edwin Beattie's resting place
Courtesy England's old Churches Youtube Channel
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Medals & Awards
47th Infantry Battalion Patch is a circular colour patch with horizontally divided brown over dark blue.
Worn as a distinguishing unit indication at the head of each sleeve from 1916.
The War Medal is a campaign medal of the British Empire which was awarded to the officers and men of British and Imperial forces for their service in the First World War.
The Victory Medal was awarded to all those who served in the armed forces during the First World War. Civilians who worked with the armed services as well as those who served in military hospitals also received this medal.
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