Edgar George Abbey (1891-1917)

Courtesy War Memorial

George started work as an apprentice joiner and, when his father moved to Warrnambool to manage the Co-operative Box Works in 1913, George found work there as a joiner.
George enlisted in the AIF on 15 July 1915 and, after his initial training, he was sent to officer training school in Broadmeadows where he was promoted to Sergeant.
On completing his training George joined the D Company of the 38th Battalion.
The Battalion embarked on 16 Jun 1916 for England on HMAT Runic. After training in England, the Battalion left Southampton at the beginning of December 1916 for France and the trenches. At about this time George was taken by the Field Ambulance to hospital suffering bronchitis but was later discharged and returned to his unit.
He was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant on 6 Jan 1917 and to Lieutenant on 19 April.
The 38th fought in its first major battle at Messines, in Belgium, between 7-9 June 1917.
After the battle the 38th Battalion provided working parties to maintain the trenches when they were subjected to bombardments of mustard gas shells at night. It was during this time that Lieutenants Abbey and Wyndham were killed while in a command bunker at Messines. Unfortunately it was the last shell of a shoot which struck the shelter in which these two officers had sought cover. The loss did not end there. The same shell, in addition, accounted for the death of Sergeants Onions and Cunningham and Private Marlow. All were buried in the Kandahar Cemetery.
George was one of 76,836 Australian casualties in 1917.
He had served for barely two years.