Orders, Decorations and Medals

Three: Private E. V. S. Pedley, 11th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, who died of wounds in Gallipoli in August 1915

1914-15 Star (1816 Pte., 11/Bn. A.I.F.); British War and Victory Medals (1816 Pte., 11-Bn. A.I.F.), together with related Memorial Plaque (Ernest Victor Starkey Pedley), good very fine (4) £250-300

Ernest Victor Starkey Pedley was born in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire and enlisted in the 11th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force in January 1915, aged 21 years, having been employed as a Dairyman. Subsequently embarked for Gallipoli, he died of wounds - ‘shrapnel wounds in legs’ - at the 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station on 6 August 1915 (official records and letter to his father back in England refer). His unit’s war diary for that date states:

‘6 August 1915: About 1430 this morning the enemy made an attack in force on Leane’s Trench which we recently captured - they crept up close under the parapet and delivered a heavy bomb attack. So fierce was the onslaught that the enemy succeeded in getting a foothold in the right section of our trenches ... We immediately blocked with sand bags the communication trench leading from that portion of the trench occupied by the enemy. Our men in the trench endeavoured by fire and bombs from the flank to dislodge the enemy but failed. A storming party was then formed of about 30 men under 2nd Lieutenant Prokter to rush the trench from Tasmania Post. This they did in a most dashing manner under heavy M.G. and rifle fire. As their casualties were considerable in carrying out this operation I did not consider the remainder sufficiently strong to seize and hold the position, so I detailed 2nd Lieutenant Franklyn to follow up - they charged over the open ground in a gallant manner and succeeded in completing the capture of the trench, shooting and bayonetting all the Turks left there. It was then found that a party of Turks had rallied into No. 1A sap, where for sometime they held out, but they were ultimately taken prisoner and sent off to headquarters. Meanwhile, Turkish reinforcements had been hurried up and took cover close in front of our parapets, from which they could not be dislodged even by bombs. They attempted to dig under our trenches and as there was a danger of our trenches being blown up. I decided to launch a counter-attack from the left flank to clear out the enemy from under our parapets. For this purpose 2nd Lieutenant Hall and 25 men were detailed and they succeeded in clearing the enemy out and also arrested an attack which was developing from our left. The enemy attack continued for six hours during which a heavy bombardment by heavy guns took place as well as incessant rifle and machine-gun fire. The trenches and parapets were badly knocked about but with the assistance of the Engineer Company they were speedily repaired. The enemy was completely repulsed with heavy loss and the whole of the trench left in our possession. Our casualties were heavy especially from bomb wounds.’

The Battalion sustained losses of 41 killed and 93 wounded.

Pedley is buried in Shell Green Cemetery at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli.