Edgar Herbert Sheather

Edgar Herbert Sheather was born in 1891 in Youngel, NSW, to Reuben Sheather and Elizabeth Rosina, nee Sullivan. 

On 5th October 1916, he enlisted at Melbourne, Victoria. At the time, he was a single, 25-year-old labourer from Fairfield, Khancoban, NSW. He was allocated Regimental Number 3133 and placed in the 24th Reinforcements for the 8th Light Horse Regiment. Edgar gave his next of kin as his mother, Elizabeth Sheather.          

Edgar embarked on HMAT A25 ​Anglo-Egyptian on 31st January 1917, at Melbourne, Victoria. The trip would take him across the Great Australian Bight to Fremantle, on to Colombo, in Ceylon, before finally disembarking at Suez, at the southern end of the Suez Canal, in Egypt, on 3rd March, 1917.                                                

Trooper Sheather marched into the Isolation Camp at Moascar on the same day and stayed there for a period of eleven days. He was taken on strength by the 3rd Light Horse Training Regiment before finally making his way back to the 8th Light Horse on 22nd April 1917, at Tel-el-Marakeb.                                

On 14th September 1917, he was admitted to the Military Hospital at Abasan suffering from diphtheria. Although he would get better from this infection and be released back to his Regiment in early November, he would be readmitted to the hospital, via a long series of movements, suffering from chronic gonorrhea. Edgar would end up spending a total of 192 days in various hospitals and lose £48 of his wages, due to this condition. A typical movement consisted of first being admitted to the 13th Canadian Field Ambulance, followed by three days at the 66th Casualty Clearing Station, 1 day at the Scottish Horse Ambulance, 2 days at the 44th Australian Stationary Hospital and finally to the No. 2 Australian Stationary Hospital at Moascar.

Upon being released from the hospital on 7th June 1918, he was paraded before the Medical Board and sent to work in the Depot Stores at Gezira. His final posting before being discharged was being attached for duty at the Australian Soldiers' Club in Cairo.

At his own request, Edgar was discharged while still in Egypt, on 22nd August, 1919. A statement Edgar wrote explains his reasons for seeking discharge in Egypt.

“I wish to commence a business in Egypt. I have already handed out £100 to my interests in Cairo, Re horses. Besides spending £200 toward importation from Australia Viz furs from [script difficult to interpret] Tumbarumba, the object being, to make a brisk start as soon as Demobilised.”

He was discharged on 22nd August 1919, being awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal for his service during the war.

Edgar Herbert married Myra Paterson in 1925. He passed away on 15th July 1961 at Seaford, Victoria and was buried in Springvale Botanical Cemetery, Springvale, Victoria.