ABBOTT Edward Andrew

War Service Western Front Before enlistment he was a miner.

His mother Margaret Abbott was then living at Barter Street Gympie and this is listed as Edward Andrew Abbott's address.

Served 2 years in the A.A.M.C. (Australian Army Medical Corps) No 5 Light Horse prior to the above enlistment.

Was Discharged 0n 27 April 1915-Because he failed "all his musketry tests and his commanding officer recommended discharge as unsuitable.

Re-enlisted on 17 November 1915. The 36th Battalion, 9th Brigade, field ambulance.

His mother had moved to Nelson Road (near fire-station) Gympie by this stage, his father died in 1909.

His second enlistment took place in Brisbane.

By this time his skills as a driver and potential as a stretcher bearer were recognised and he embarked to Europe on the "Argyllshire" from Sydney on 11 May 1916 and landed in Devonport England on 10 July 1916.

By September 1916 he was in prison awaiting a court martial for insubordination and striking a superior officer. He got a sentence of 9 months in Wormwood Scrubs prison which was reduced to 3 months which left 37 days remaining after his court martial because he had already served 53 days of the reduced sentence. He marched out to France on 12 February 1917. He had several terms in hospital in France at Etaples before he was sent to the front in Belgium (the Ypres Salient) where he was seriously wounded on the 25th August 1917 when he received stomach wounds and a severe injury to his right arm which required the remainder of the arm to be amputated.

He had quite a few run ins with authority during his time in the army even after his discharge from hospital he was in trouble with disobeying orders or for being absent without leave. He returned to Australia on 28 December 1917 and was discharged from the Australian Army on the 20th March 1918.

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