Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Herbert (known as Bert) was born at Christchurch on 3 August 1893, only son of John (1846-1910) and Kate Miriam (1866-1924 nee Ford) Edman. After his father’s death at Lyttelton in 1910, his mother Kate later remarried in 1913, Martin Mansson, a Swedish seaman. Herbert was educated at the Lyttelton Primary School. By 1915 he was working in Timaru as a Packer man for W. Evans (Flour Millers) of Beswick Street, and his address was care of Mrs Beaumont of Stafford Street, Timaru. On 12 June 1915 Herbert enlisted for war service, and was posted to C Company, 2nd Battalion of the Canterbury Infantry Regiment. His mother, Mrs Katie Mansson of Hawkhurst Road (later 3 Jacksons Terrace) Lyttelton, was listed as his next of kin. He was described as being single, 5 foot 10 ½ inches tall, Anglican, his chest measuring 31 ½ - 34 inches, of dark complexion, brown eyes, black hair and having good teeth. Shortly after entering Trentham Camp, on 9 July, he was admitted to hospital for 10 days with influenza. Training completed, he embarked from Wellington with the 7th Reinforcements, Canterbury Infantry Regiment, on 9 October 1915. His contingent was bound for Suez, Egypt, and their transport was either the Aparima, Navua or Warrimoo (HMNZT 32, 33 or 34). Not long after arriving in Egypt, he was again in the D.B.I. Hospital from 18 November to 6 December, suffering from a personal complaint. Only out of hospital a few days, he was, on 15 December, admitted to the Isolation Hospital at Choubra, suffering from diphtheria and was discharged on 23 December to the base depot at Zeitoun. On 8 March 1916 at Moascar, he was posted to D Company, 2nd Battalion Canterbury Infantry Regiment, and embarked for France on 7 April 1916. Later in the year his unit was at a place called Goose Alley which was near Flers on the Somme. During an attack on 21 September, he was reported as missing in the field and was not found until two days later with gunshot wounds to his back. He was immediately admitted to No11 Stationary Hospital at Rouen. Herbert was embarked the same day, on the Hospital Ship Maheno, for England, and admitted to No1 NZ General Hospital at Brockenhurst on the 24th. There he was to survive for another six weeks, but unfortunately died of his wounds on 11 November. Burial followed on 13 November 1916, in Plot A, Row 1, Grave 7, in the Brockenhurst (St Nicholas) Churchyard, Hampshire, England. Herbert’s name is commemorated on the Timaru Cenotaph, Lyttelton War Memorial and his father’s headstone in the Lyttelton Cemetery. After the war, his mother, Kate Mansson, now living at 3 Jackson’s Terrace, Lyttelton, was sent his war medals, the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal, plus a plaque and scroll.

Sources

New Zealand ANZACs in the Great War 1914-1918 at http://nzef.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=74098; "Lyttelton War Memorial" on Kete Christchurch at http://ketechristchurch.peoplesnetworknz.info/in_memoriam/topics/show/147-lyttelton-war-memorial#.V0vEFvl96M8 – Lyttelton War Memorial; Every Man Remebered at http://www.everymanremembered.org/profiles/soldier/362555/; "New Zealand War Graves - St Nicholas" on Brockenhurst Parish Church website at http://www.brockenhurstchurch.com/church-life/church-buildings/new-zealand-war-graves.php; Timaru Herald 16 November 1916 p6, Auckland Star 17 November 1916 p7, and Star 21 November 1916 p5 courtesy of Papers Past at http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz; Ancestry.com.au ;NZ War Graves Project at http://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/casualties/herbert-lionel-edman; Clare Church “New Zealand Graves Brockenhurst”, page 88

External Links

• Military personnel file

Related Documents

• Great War Stories - Private Herbert Lionel Edman - Timaru Herald 20 May 2017 (pdf, 76.9 KB updated 15-Sep-2017)

Researched and Written by

Patrina Buchanan; Ted Hansen, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.