L/Cpl
Edward Ernest Linton
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 03/03/1881 |
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Place of birth: Springsure, Queensland, Australia |
General information
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Last known residence: Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia |
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Profession: Carman |
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Religion: Church of England |
Army information
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Country: Australia |
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Force: Australian Imperial Force |
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Rank: Lance Corporal |
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Service number: 2200 |
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Enlistment date: 27/03/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Charters Towers, Queensland, Australia |
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Units: — Australian Infantry, 47th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 12/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Nieuwemolen, Zonnebeke, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 36 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: XXXIX Row: F Grave: 14 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Last known residence | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Edward Ernest Linton was born March 3, 1881, in Springsure, the son of John Thomas Linton and Roseanne Simms Linton. On April 19, 1908, he married Florence Kendall, with her he had 2 daughters, although his youngest daughter lived only a few months. On March 27, 1916, he enlisted in the Australian Army and on August 16, 1916, he left the Australian mainland. On December 22, 1916, he arrived in France. The unit he was assigned to was the 47th Bn. Australian Infantry, part of the 12th Australian Brigade, 4th Australian Division.
The 4th Australian Division took part in the First Battle of Passchendaele, part of the Third Battle of Ypres which had been in progress since July 31, 1917. The 4th Australian Division's objective was to advance over the Broodseinde ridge to Keiberg Spur on 12 October 1917 to flank the 3rd Division which was advancing north of the railroad towards Passchendaele. The 47th Battalion was given the task of capturing and holding the red line. This ran roughly from the railroad embankment to Assyria. Then the 48th Battalion would continue the attack.
The attack faced immediate setbacks. The soldiers were tired from marching through the mud. The battalion headquarters, located in a bunker on the Broodseinde ridge, was also hit. Nearly all the signalmen and couriers had become casualties, making further communications more difficult. The Germans retreated, but once the 48th Battalion advanced they faced heavy German fire from Vienna Cottage. This was in the 3rd Division's sector, but heavy resistance had prevented them from advancing. The German position at Vienna Cottage was eliminated, but finally, for lack of support, 47th and 48th Battalions had to retreat to their starting positions. The two battalions lost a total of nearly 1,000 soldiers.
Edward Ernest Linton was severely wounded in the leg and back during the attack. Two soldiers were sent out to take him back to their own lines, but this could not be accomplished without a stretcher. The two soldiers had no choice but to lay Edward as comfortably as possible in a grenade funnel. How long he lay there is not known. After the war, he was exhumed on the road between Nieuwemolen and Defy Crossing. Presently he rests in Tyne Cot Cemetery. He lived to be 36 years old.
The 4th Australian Division took part in the First Battle of Passchendaele, part of the Third Battle of Ypres which had been in progress since July 31, 1917. The 4th Australian Division's objective was to advance over the Broodseinde ridge to Keiberg Spur on 12 October 1917 to flank the 3rd Division which was advancing north of the railroad towards Passchendaele. The 47th Battalion was given the task of capturing and holding the red line. This ran roughly from the railroad embankment to Assyria. Then the 48th Battalion would continue the attack.
The attack faced immediate setbacks. The soldiers were tired from marching through the mud. The battalion headquarters, located in a bunker on the Broodseinde ridge, was also hit. Nearly all the signalmen and couriers had become casualties, making further communications more difficult. The Germans retreated, but once the 48th Battalion advanced they faced heavy German fire from Vienna Cottage. This was in the 3rd Division's sector, but heavy resistance had prevented them from advancing. The German position at Vienna Cottage was eliminated, but finally, for lack of support, 47th and 48th Battalions had to retreat to their starting positions. The two battalions lost a total of nearly 1,000 soldiers.
Edward Ernest Linton was severely wounded in the leg and back during the attack. Two soldiers were sent out to take him back to their own lines, but this could not be accomplished without a stretcher. The two soldiers had no choice but to lay Edward as comfortably as possible in a grenade funnel. How long he lay there is not known. After the war, he was exhumed on the road between Nieuwemolen and Defy Crossing. Presently he rests in Tyne Cot Cemetery. He lived to be 36 years old.
Sources 4
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Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), RCDIG1064166). https://www.awm.gov.au Sources used |
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Deayton Craig , Battle Scarred: the 47th Battalion in the First World War (Newport Big Sky publishing Ltd, 2011).156-188. Sources used |
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First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455, Linton, Edward Ernest). https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ Sources used |
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 2018), 129-132. Sources used |
More information 4
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CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/463612 |
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The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=177345 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=6f7fd4dd-f6b6-4436-88d3-e077a270c147 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7608740 |