Military History

Edward is listed as being killed in action on 24th April 1917 during the 2nd Battle of Doiran. The 7th Bn war diary entry and a report on the actions of 24th / 25th  are transcribed below courtesty of the Lightbobs website.

La Tortue - 24 Apr 1917: The artillery duel continued, and our trenches suffered considerably. One of the greatest troubles is the laying of the telephone wires.
Owing to the rocky nature of the hill it has not been possible to dig special cable trenches, and, consequently, we have had to fix the wires to the rocky sides of the trenches with staples. One of our communication trenches has no fewer than forty telephone wires running up it.
The staples are con­stantly coming out, and it will be surprising if signal communication lasts long after the attack begins.

Attack of the XIIth Corps on 24th/25th April

​The enemy steadily bombarded our trenches all day. About dusk there was a lull, followed by a bombardment, which reached its maximum just as our assaulting troops were leaving the trenches.

C and D Companies of the Battalion (with. No. 4 Platoon of A Company attached to C) carrying bombs, barbed wire, iron screw pickets, and tools, left our trenches at 9 p.m., and followed the reserve companies of the 7th R. Berks and 11th Worcesters re­spectively. The objectives of these two battalions were, firstly, the Bulgar trenches opposite 0.5 to 0.6, and secondly his trenches behind.

When C Company (Durno-Steele), less No. 12 Platoon, which was carrying for the R.E., reached the junction of Hand 2 and 5 Ravines, they found that the right company of the 7th R. Berks had been checked by the barrage in the Jumeaux Ravine.

Mean­while the other two assaulting companies of the 7th R. Berks and 11th Worcesters had gained the greater part of their first objective, as well as part of their second objective. And the Medical Officer of the 7th R. Berks had established his dressing-station in Mortar Ravine.

The Bulgars counter-attacked very heavily, but until midnight we were able to hold the ground we had gained. Things now became critical, as the two companies of the 7th R. Berks had suffered heavy casualties and had lost all their officers.

Two platoons of D Company, under Pickford, were sent up to help a party of the Worcesters under Pearson, (Captain F. S. Pearson joined the 7th Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry from the 3rd Dorsets, 4th April 1917, and was transferred a week later to the 11th Worcesters) while Stevenson did most useful work with the other two platoons, making three journeys back to Exeter Ravine for further supplies of bombs.

Eventually (about 2 a.m.) Pearson had to withdraw, as the Bulgars had counter attacked in such force and with such vigour that gradually all our men were pushed back into the Jumeaux Ravine, and he was in danger of being surrounded. Pickford, although badly wounded, refused to be carried away, as the situation was so critical, and every available man was needed in the line. He was last seen doing what he could to cheer on his men.

Durno-Steele did all he could to relieve the situation on the right, but not being allowed to take his company into the actual fight, he himself went back to our trenches for further orders, as three runners sent for that purpose had all failed to return. At 4 a.m. he was ordered to withdraw, and brought his company back, with all that was left of the loads they had carried out.

On the extreme right the 79th Infantry Brigade had failed to establish themselves in 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3, while the 10th Devons, after having their two leading companies almost completely wiped out by shell fire in the Jumeaux Ravine, captured 0.4, the eastern­most of the two bumps of Petit Couronne.

At 1.30a.m. an orderly reached our trenches with the following message :--
"To 79th Brigade. Either keep 0.5 under continual bombard­ment or get 78th Brigade to take it. I am unable to take it, having entirely lost two companies, and with heavy casualties among re­mainder. Send S.A.A. and grenades most urgently to 0.4.
" T. N. Howard, Lieut.-Colonel 10th Devons. 11.35 p.m."

This message was at once transmitted to our Brigade, who ordered us to send two platoons with the ammunition asked for. Hutchins and E. L. D. Robinson were sent with their platoons to 0.4.

Hutchins, in his endeavour to locate the 10th Devons, got actually into the trenches on the north side of 0.4, but found neither the Devons nor the Bulgars. Returning about 4 a.m. he met Colonel Howard, who had in the meantime received orders from his Brigade to evacuate the hill.