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South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project

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 The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War One


Bombardier 37785 Edgar RUST - Y Battery, XV Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery

1s
Died of wounds on Wednesday May 19th 1915 aged 22

edgar rust

Military History
     
Theatre of War Medals Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial
Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, Gallipoli British War & Victory Medals Alexandria (Chatby) War Cemetery
     
Arrived in Theatre Medal Citation (if app) SWFHS Area Memorials
3 Mar 1915 at Alexandria ~ Ettington
     
Action, Battle Killed or Wounded Date and Place Enlisted Other War Memorials
Gallipoli Campaign On or before 4 Aug 1914 at Shoreham Frimley Green, Surrey
     
Place of Death Previous Regiments or Units  
17th General Hospital at Alexandria, Egypt X Battery Royal Horse Artillery  
     

Circumstances of Death

Edgar was admitted to the 17th General Hospital in Alexandria on 7 May 1915 with a gunshot wounds to the shoulder, back and chest and he died there 12 days later on 19 May 1915.

The chain of casualty evacuation at Gallipoli is explained here and briefly was that after being wounded a casualty would be taken to a Regimental Aid post for wound dressing then onto a Casualty Clearing Station, normally on a beach, and then taken onboard one of the 56 or so Hospital Ships used in the Gallipoli Campaign. The journey from the moorings at Gallipoli to Alexandria took three and a half days and so, as Edgar was admitted to hospital in Alexandria on 7th May, the latest he would have been wounded was the 3rd May and most likely well before then. The war dairy for the XV Brigade is transcribed below from the 26th April when Y Battery disemabarked at Sedd el Bahr until 6th May 1915 and we have concluded that Edgar was wounded on the 1st May.

War Diary

26 IV 1915 - 12.20pm: Arrived at Sedd el Bahr, Turkey

27 IV 1915 - 1pm: Brigade begins to disembark with the G.S. Wagons or Mules

28 IV 1915 - 1pm: Battery carries out disembarkation

29 IV 1915 - 11am: Battery concludes disembarkation 

30 IV 1915 - 1pm: Came into action 1½ miles N.E. of Sedd el Bahr
                  6pm: Battery fired first rounds to register zone

1. V. 1915 - 6am: Fired on enemy's infantry
          11.20am: Infantry in front of battery attacked and driven in. Battery opened fire at 12.15am and ? ? the action, firing until noon on 2. V. 15. Four men wounded, 4 horses killed and seven wounded

3. V. 1915 - 7pm: Withdrew into Bivouac about 1 mile SW, guns in position ready for action

5. V. 1915 - 11.30am: Major Rick rejoined after an absence of about a month at a time when many difficult operations had to be carried out. All these were put through without a hitch by Lieutenant Peveral.

6. V. 1915 - 7.30am: Advanced to new position 169Q, about 1½ miles N.E.

History of XV Brigade in 1915/16

XV Brigade, RHA was formed at Leamington, Warwickshire in January 1915 and comprised of:
• B Battery of I Brigade, RHA at Ambala, India
• L Battery at St John's Wood Barracks, reformed after the Action at Néry
• Y Battery of XIII Brigade, RHA at Mhow, India
• XV RHA Brigade Ammunition Column

On formation, the batteries were re-equipped with four 18 pounders each. The brigade was assigned to the 29th Division. In March 1915, it embarked at Avonmouth and sailed for Alexandria (via Malta) arriving from 28 March?. On 7 April, the division began re-embarking at Alexandria and sailed for Gallipoli.

The division started landing at Cape Helles from 7am on 25 April and served on the Gallipoli Peninsula until January 1915. While at Helles, the division saw action at the Capture of Sedd el Bahr (26 April), the First Battle of Krithia (28 April), Second Battle of Krithia (6–8 May) and Third Battles of Krithia (4 June), the Battle of Gully Ravine (28 June – 2 July) and the Battle of Krithia Vineyard (6–13 August). From 16 August to the night of 19/20 December 1915, the bulk of the division served at Suvla but the brigade remained at Helles. On the night of 7/8 January 1916, the division was evacuated from Helles.
 Personal & Family History

 

Birth Date/Place Baptism Date/Place
25 Apr 1890 at Woolwich 23 May 1890 at Woolwich
   
Parents Names Abode
Edgar and Minnie Rust
   
Wife & Marriage Details Children
Elizabeth Ann Rust nee Nason later Gibbs Edwina born 1916
Jan Qtr 1915 at Warwick    
   
Schools Colleges
Royal Military Asylum School ~
   
Address History Employment History
1891 - Cambridge Cottages, Woolwich 1901 Schoolboy at Royal Military Asylum 
1901 - Royal Military Asylum, Cheltenham Terrace, Chelsea 1911 - Gunner in Y Battery, Royal Horse Artillery
1911 - Military Barracks, Mhow, India   
1915 - Military Barracks at Leamington Spa  
1915 - 1 Elm Terrace, Ettington  
   
  • Edgar was the second generation of his family to join the Artillery with his father and uncle also serving in the Royal Artillery.
  • Edgar's connection to Ettington is that he married Elizabeth Ann Rust, sister of Thomas Randall Nason who is also listed on the
    Ettington War Memorial, in Warwick. XV Brigade, RHA was formed in Leamington Spa in January 1915 before embarking for Gallipoli
    in March 1915
     

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