2nd
Air Mechanic Harold
EDWARDS of 3rd Squadron AFC
was the skilled Instrument Maker who engraved the
name-plates for the Red Baron's coffin and grave-marker, and
eventually became the longest-lived Australian Flying Corps
veteran. He was a “star turn” at 3SQN birthday
celebrations up until the 1990s. But in addition to these
significant accomplishments, Harold was also an excellent letter-writer
and during WW1 his family used to slip his letters to the local
Bendigo
newspaper!
SOLDIERS’ LETTERS. - BENDIGONIAN IN FRANCE.
The scenery is very pretty, for the trees all have fresh green leaves and flowers are plentiful and varied; the river runs so freely that beauty spots seem to burst on us - or we on them. What with the trees, flowers, the winding path, and the reflections of each in the water, it is naturally displayed panorama. We are seldom more than 5ft from the water’s edge and oft-times much nearer, while on the other side the lads have to keep dodging the branches of the trees that were swishing the lorries.
- Writing to Mr. J. B. Edwards, Jeweller of Pall Mall, his son Harold, from “In the field somewhere in France,” describes bathing in the Somme on delightfully warm days.
The selected spot for bathing was a fairly wide bend, and it certainly was very enticing. A dive from the spring-board was not hard to take, and three-quarters of an hour soon slipped away. The current was flowing at about four miles per hour. The one thing I know was that it was impossible to make headway against it. Some fancied they could swim (myself included); thought they could make way up stream, but it was no chop. One lad struggled for about 12ft, and then pausing for an instant, was swept back beyond his starting point.
The next day after the swimming one of our machines was brought down, but it managed to come almost to the ’drome. The pilot was wounded a little, but is right again.
During the morning Lieut. Armstrong brought down a Hun. [Actually two RE8 crews shared a victory over a German Albatros fighter, Armstrong & Jeffery plus Baillieu & Sewell; 3 June 1918.]
During the morning a low-lying mist had been noticeable. We learnt that this was a German phosgene [poisonous gas] screen that had been put across early in the morning.
For several days I had been working on an appliance which one of our officers, Lieutenant WARNEFORD, has invented for the detection and location of aircraft. My work is to make a number of sounding boxes, practically the same as the reproducer of a gramophone. [An example of “sound locator” technology.]
Our long spell of fine hot weather came at length to an end, and Tuesday, June 4, was cloudy and cold. It became clearer towards evening. During the afternoon General MONASH came round accompanied by our Major. [Maj. David BLAKE.] The General impressed me as being very much alive and quick thinking man; very decent and affable with all and chatted quite freely for a few minutes. He saw me engraving a crescent on a tobacco tin that the Major had made for himself. I was pretty well on with the engraving, and the General expressed at seeing the work.
The Major made rather sweeping comments regarding my trade work. After finishing the crest work I recommenced the reproducers. By evening I had finished the first one. The inventor immediately attached it to the gramophone and tried it on a disc. It was pretty right until it came to the high notes, and then it was discordant. With the work finished several of us went into the nearest village - Abbeville. A heavy bomb seems to have been dropped in the centre of the city, destroying a number of shops. The bomb destroyed the front of a fine statue of Admiral Courbet.
There was much destruction at the station. On the whole, however, there did not seem to be a great amount of damage done, and so as to minimise the casualties all the population, military excluded, have to leave the town before dark. They distribute themselves in the surrounding villages, along the river banks, and to a particular wood not far away. Specials run out each evening to the wood, and return the following morning, mostly for the benefit of business people. On returning we saw the largest carpet factory in France. At another village I was able to procure a packet of Quaker Oats for use instead of bully biscuits.
There seems to have been quite a burst of excitement at midday when a Hun machine, escorted by one of ours, landed on the ’drome. The “bus” was intact in all details and contained maps, etc. that the French authorities in this sector say are of exceptional value, and they congratulated the airman on his work.
We went to a football match and races combined. There were several thousands of Aussies there, including many Sisters from the neighbouring hospitals. There were also a number of Tommies [British] and a batch of 50 or 60 W.A.A.C.S. [Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps] there. Can you imagine a Y.M.C.A. refreshment hut at a race meeting? Well, it was so.
On Sunday night, the 16th, some of the carpenters had to work throughout the night making coffins for two of our airmen who had been killed the previous evening. [Sydney Hall JONES and Stanley Arthur LORAM, both KIA 15 June 1918.] Some of the workmen had just been inoculated, and the most of the others had arms still sore, so I helped, and for a few hours I imagined I was almost myself back in Bendigo.