Stanley Rees Ede – Australian Engineers, 12th Field Company
Sapper Stanley Rees Ede – Australian Engineers, 12th Field Company
Birth and Family Background
Stanley Rees Ede was born in 1898 in Swansea.
He was the son of William Edward Ede and Catherine Griffiths,
who were married in 1896 in Cardiff.
Early Life
 |
| 1901 Census |
At the time of the 1901 Census, the Ede family were residing at 49 Sandgate Road, Knowle, Bristol.
William Edward Ede (24), born in Devon, was employed as an upholster, while his wife Catherine (24), born in Monmouthshire, managed the household.
Their only child at this time was Stanley Rees (3).
Also present was a boarder, John Hepburn (21), who was likewise
employed as an upholster.
 |
| 1911 Census |
By the 1911 Census, the family had moved to 22 Sandwich Road, Brislington, Bristol.
William Edward Ede (34) remained employed as an upholster, and Catherine (34) managed the household.
Their children were Stanley (13) and Frederick
(10), both attending school, and Phyllis (6).
Emigration to Australia
After 1911, the Ede family emigrated to Australia,
settling in Victoria. Stanley trained and worked as a plumber, a
practical trade that later proved valuable in military engineering service.
Military Service
Stanley Rees Ede enlisted on 1st May 1915
while living in Melbourne. His Attestation Papers have survived,
documenting his service history.Attestation Papers
He initially enlisted with the 8th Battalion,
joining the 7th Reinforcement, before transferring to the Australian
Engineers. He was posted as a Sapper with the 12th Field
Company, where his civilian skills were directly applied to front-line
engineering tasks.
Australian Engineers, 12th Field Company — 8th
October 1917
On 8th October 1917, the 12th Field
Company, part of the Australian Engineers, was actively engaged in
operations in the Ypres Salient, Belgium, during the later stages of the
Third Battle of Ypres campaign. This period followed immediately after
the successful Battle of Broodseinde on 4th October 1917,
when Australian divisions captured significant German positions on the
Broodseinde Ridge.
The 12th Field Company was attached to
formations operating east of Ypres, including the area around Hooge
and Polygon Wood. Their responsibilities were vital to sustaining the
advance and included constructing and repairing roads and duckboard tracks,
clearing shell craters, repairing trenches, and establishing
and maintaining strongpoints under constant enemy observation.
Although 8th October was not a major infantry assault
day, conditions were extremely hazardous. German artillery
maintained heavy shelling, particularly targeting newly built roads,
engineer working parties, and forward positions. Field companies frequently
worked in daylight under fire, as urgent repairs could not be delayed.
Engineers were also exposed to gas shelling, machine-gun fire,
and snipers while carrying out their tasks.
The battlefield terrain was among the worst encountered
during the war. Relentless rain, combined with continuous shellfire,
had turned the ground into deep mud, collapsing trenches and swallowing
men, equipment, and animals. Engineers such as those of the 12th Field
Company were often required to work waist-deep in mud, frequently at
night, to keep supply and evacuation routes open.
Casualties among engineer units were steady and severe,
despite their non-infantry role. Men were killed or wounded while laying
duckboards, repairing communication trenches, or constructing bridges and
shelters. It was during these dangerous operations on 8th October
1917 that Stanley Rees Ede lost his life.
The work of the 12th Field Company during this phase of the fighting was essential to the Australian Corps’ ability to hold captured ground and continue operations in the Ypres Salient. Their efforts exemplified the often overlooked but indispensable role of military engineers, whose losses were heavy despite operating behind — and often directly within — the front line.
Death and Burial
Stanley Rees Ede was killed in action on 8th October
1917. He is buried at Hooge Crater Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen,
Belgium, where he is commemorated among those who gave their lives during the
costly fighting of the Passchendaele campaignStanley Rees Ede
Hooge Crater Cemetery, Belgium
credit - findagrave
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