Edward Ernest Edwards – Canadian Infantry, C.E.F., 10th Battalion
Private Edward Ernest Edwards – Canadian Infantry, C.E.F., 10th Battalion
Birth and Family Background
Edward Ernest Edwards was born in 1884 in Swansea.
He was the son of John Edwards and Ann Edwards, a working-class family
closely connected with the docks and railway industries of Swansea.Edward Ernest Edwards
Early Life
 |
| 1891 Census |
At the time of the 1891 Census, the Edwards family were residing at 31 Barthurst Street, Swansea.
John Edwards (41), born in Carmarthenshire, was employed as a dock shunter, while his wife Ann (40), also born in Carmarthenshire, managed the household.
Their children were Thomas (17), a parcel porter;
David J. (14), an office boy; William (12); Mary (10);
Edward (7); Ann (5), all attending school; and Meredith (10
months).
 |
| 1901 Census |
At a later point during his youth, Edward Edwards was residing at 174 Carmarthen Road, Swansea, the home of his brother-in-law, William Rees.
William Rees (37) was employed as a copper smelter, and his wife Elizabeth (36) managed the household.
Their children were Mary (16), employed in a tin
factory; Thomas (14); Jessie (11); William (10); David
J. (8); Elias (3); and Alwyn (2 months).
Also living in the household was Edward (15), who was himself working
in the tin factory, highlighting his early entry into industrial
employment.
 |
| 1911 Census |
By the 1911 Census, Edward had returned to the family home at 6 Gordon Terrace, Swansea.
John Edwards (61) was then employed as a docks traffic foreman, and Ann (60) continued to manage the household.
The children present were Jane (33); Edward Ernest
(27), employed as a railway clerk; Ellen Ann (25); and Arthur
(16), a junior clerk. Edward’s employment reflects the family’s
growing connection with railway administration.
Marriage and Emigration to Canada
In 1913, Edward Ernest Edwards married Elizabeth
Edith Thomas at Llandilo. Later that same year, the couple emigrated
to Canada, settling in Alberta.
Edward was employed as an assistant station master with the Canadian Pacific Railway, continuing his railway career in his adopted country.
Military Service
In June 1916, Edward volunteered for Imperial
service, enlisting in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. He initially
joined the 187th Battalion, later transferring to the 211th
Battalion, before being posted overseas.
From May 1917, Edward served on the Western Front
in France and Flanders, where he joined the Canadian Infantry, C.E.F., 10th
Battalion. The battalion formed part of the 2nd Canadian
Infantry Brigade, 1st Canadian Division, and was engaged in
heavy fighting during the summer of 1917.
Death in Action
Edward Ernest Edwards was killed in action on 15th
August 1917 during operations near Hill 70, while digging a
captured German trench under combat conditions. His death occurred during a
critical phase of the Canadian offensive, when German artillery and machine-gun
fire made consolidation work especially dangerous.
Commemoration
Edward Ernest Edwards has no known grave. He is commemorated
on the Vimy Memorial, Pas-de-Calais, France, which bears the names of
Canadian soldiers who died in France and whose burial places are unknown.Edward Ernest Edwards
Vimy Memorial, Pas-de-Calais, France
credit - findagrave
His life reflects a journey from industrial Swansea
to railway service in Canada, and finally to the battlefields of
northern France, commemorating a man whose civilian skills and sense of
duty ultimately led to his sacrifice during one of Canada’s most significant
campaigns of the First World War
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