David William Eade

On the 4th of October, 1917, the guns of the British Second Army opened a barrage to support the beginning stages of what would become the Battle for Broodseinde Ridge. This, as part of the Third Battle of Ypres after Polygon Wood, would be the first time that the 1st and 2nd Anzac Corps would fight side-by-side.

At 0605 hours, the 39th Battalion climbed out of their trenches and proceeded across no-man’s land towards the German trenches. According to the 39th Battalion war diarist; “Owing to the bad light and Battle Smoke it was impossible to keep formations; the consequence was that all Battalions of the Brigade became mixed”.

As the Battalions of the Brigade advanced, they were met by a line of troops from the German 212th Regiment, which had also jumped to their feet at that moment 30 metres away, in order to advance behind their artillery barrage. It was during this engagement that both Private David Eade and Lieutenant David Mackay were wounded in action, with David Eade being shot in the chest.

David was taken by stretcher-bearers to the 2nd ANZAC Medical Dressing Station of the 11th Australian Field Ambulance situated at Red Farm. Unfortunately, during that day he succumbed to his wounds. David was buried by the Rev. E.O. Phillips of the 44th Battalion at Brandhoek New Military Cemetery near Poperinghe, Belgium.

David William Eade was born in 1890 in Corryong, the third of eight children for William and Loveday (née Evans) Eade. The 1914 Electoral Roll has David living at Nariel and working as a labourer.

On the 6th of January, 1916, David underwent his medical examination to ensure that he was fit and healthy to join the 1st AIF. Like many local boys enlisting, his examination was undertaken by Dr. Greenham (who would also enlist in 1917). He signed his attestation papers on the 28th of February, in Ballarat, becoming a private of A Company, 39th Battalion, 1st AIF with Regimental Number 99.

The 39th Battalion embarked on HMAT A11 Ascanius at the Port of Melbourne on the 27th of May, 1916. The voyage to England was not without its dangers with U-boats plying the route to England. The ship practised a number of submarine warnings late in the afternoons of the 5th and 10th of June. In both cases, all troops proceeded to boat stations wearing their life belts. On the 26th of June, the 39th Battalion changed troopships and boarded HMAT A64 Demosthenes. Under escort by HMS Laconia, they finally reached their destination, Devonport, Plymouth, in the UK on the 18th of July. 

After four months of training at Salisbury Plains, Wiltshire, the 39th Battalion proceeded overseas to France. Over the coming months, David would be admitted to hospital on two occasions, one with the mumps and the other after being wounded in action with a gunshot wound to the right hand. The latter, received at Ploegsteert Wood where the Battalion was also caught in a phosgene gas attack, required David to be transferred to a hospital in England for over a month. Two weeks after rejoining his unit in France in September 1917, David died of his wounds.

David is remembered on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, the Corryong State School No. 1309 Honor Roll, and the Corryong War Memorial. For his service during the First World War, he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.