Africa Star : Corporal J H Edmondson, 2/17 Battalion

Place	Africa: North Africa, Libya, Cyrenaica, Tobruk Area, Tobruk
Accession Number	RELAWM31948.004
Collection type	Heraldry
Object type	Medal
Physical description	Bronze
Location	Main Bld: Hall of Valour: Main Hall: Middle East 1941
Maker	Unknown
Place made	United Kingdom
Date made	c 1946
Conflict	Second World War, 1939-1945

Description

Africa Star. Unnamed as issued.

History / Summary

NX15705 Corporal John Hurst Edmondson was born in Wagga Wagga, NSW on 8 October 1914. The only child of Joseph William and Maud Elizabeth Edmondson, John was educated at Hurlstone Agricultural High School. He was a farmer in the Liverpool area before his enlistment into the 2/17th Infantry Battalion at Paddington on 20 May 1940. Due to previous militia service with 4 Battalion (Australian Rifles), he was promptly appointed to the rank of corporal. On 20 October, the battalion sailed on HT 'Queen Mary' from Sydney, arriving in Palestine, via Fremantle and India, on 25 November. Edmondson was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross for his actions in the 'Easter Battle', during the Tobruk siege by General Erwin Rommel's forces in 1941. He is buried in grave no. 3.J.8 in the Tobruk War Cemetery.