General News
1 August, 2023
David Morien Watkyn Edwards
David Morien Watkyn Edwards served in the Australian Army. Born on April 29 1920 in Horsham, he enlisted at Bagot in the Northern Territory on June 17 1942, giving his locality as Lubeck, Victoria. His 7th Infantry Battalion trained at several camps...
David Morien Watkyn Edwards served in the Australian Army.
Born on April 29 1920 in Horsham, he enlisted at Bagot in the Northern Territory on June 17 1942, giving his locality as Lubeck, Victoria.
His 7th Infantry Battalion trained at several camps in Victoria and moved to Darwin once mobilised for war service.
It was enroute when the northern capital was first bombed.
The battalion remained in Darwin for 18 months.
After intensive pre-deployment training on the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland, the battalion was deployed to Bougainville in 1944, where it served at various locations until the end of the war.
David was discharged on January 4 1946 at the rank of lieutenant.
Post-service, David went on to enjoy a long and healthy life.
After transitioning out he returned to his pre-service job at the Bank of New South Wales (now Westpac) in Victoria and Queensland.
He continued to work there until his retirement.
In the midst of the Covid pandemic he celebrated his 100th birthday.
Now a member of the Beerwah and District RSL Sub-Branch in the Sunshine Coast hinterland of South-East Queensland, he was visited (from a safe distance) on the day by sub-branch president John Nisbett.
David attributes his longevity to good genes, remaining active and having many interests outside of work.
The 7th Battalion (Mount Alexander Regiment) with which David served was raised as a Militia unit in Mildura in the presence of many distinguished members of the ‘original’ 7th Battalion Australian Infantry Force (AIF) and wore its colour patch.
It also carried the battle honours of its predecessor on its regimental colours.
At the commencement of World War II, like other Militia units, the 7th volunteered en masse for overseas service but was rejected on the grounds that it was needed for the defence of Australia.
Many of its soldiers then volunteered for the 2nd AIF and left the unit.
From early October the Militia were called up in two drafts for 30 days of training.
This was repeated in early 1940, this time for 90 days.
Militia units were brought up to strength with men conscripted for service.
Most of those called-up and allocated to the 7th were from the Sunraysia district but others were from Nhill, Hopetoun, Warracknabeal, Rainbow, Jeparit, Donald, Murtoa, Minyip, Rupanyup and Horsham.
There were also some from Maryborough and Kyneton.
In 1940 the battalion held a number of training camps, first at Mount Martha on the Mornington Peninsula, then at Belcombe.
The battalion spent much time at its camp at Nagambie.
At the outbreak of war the militia was put on war alert and became the training organisation for fit men in their 20s called-up and called ‘universal trainees’.
When Japan struck, the battalion dug in in a defensive position in the Dandenong area as part of the defence of Melbourne.
However, it was needed elsewhere and began moving north in mid-February 1942.
The 7th arrived in Darwin on February 25.
It served primarily in a garrison role, firstly being used to defend the Australian mainland before being deployed late in the war to take part in the Bougainville campaign in 1944–45.
On Bougainville, as part of the 23rd Brigade, it fought in the central sector of the island in the last months of the war.
In October 1944 the 7th took over from the US on the Treasury Islands and placed one of its companies on Munro Island.
Its role was to defend the airfield and conduct surveillance of the surrounding islands occupied by the Japanese.
To escape the boredom and monotony, volunteers from the brigade worked as crews on US PT boats, raiding Japanese-occupied islands in New Ireland and New Britain.
Under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Harry Dunkley, the 7th dominated the Japanese.
From June 7 to August 15 1945 the battalion captured 25 Japanese positions, including Wearne's Hill, Base Point 3, Tokua and Sisivie.
By the end of the war the 7th had claimed 181 Japanese killed, 17 probably killed and 11 wounded.
Following the end of hostilities, the battalion was once again used in the garrison role before being returned to Australia and disbanding on May 10 1946.
During its service throughout the war the battalion lost 35 men on active service, with a further 50 wounded.
Its present-day successor is now designated as 8th/7th Battalion, Royal Victorian Regiment, an Army Reserve battalion headquartered in Hawthorn.