Informal outdoor portrait of Captain (Capt) Walter Edmund Swan Edgar MC, 57th Battalion from ...

Informal outdoor portrait of Captain (Capt) Walter Edmund Swan Edgar MC, 57th Battalion from Arrunga, Mornington, Victoria. A 23 year old grazier prior to enlisting as 676 Private Edgar on 9 February 1915, he embarked for overseas sixteen days later with B Squadron, 8th Light Horse Regiment from Melbourne aboard HMAT Star of Victoria (A16). Following further training in Egypt, he served at Gallipoli where he was taken ill and evacuated to hospital in Malta for six weeks. After recovering, he returned to Egypt and then to Gallipoli. Back in Egypt, after the Gallipoli Campaign, he was transferred to the 57th Infantry Battalion on 31 May 1916 and was appointed a Second Lieutenant on 1 June. Later that month, he proceeded to France with the 57th Battalion and was promoted to Lieutenant (Lt) on 4 October 1916. Lt Edgar was awarded a Military Cross (MC) for great daring at Petillon, France on 19/20 July 1916. After the attack and during the three following days, he went out to “No Man’s Land” with parties and brought in wounded under fire. He was wounded in action on 12 May 1917 and evacuated to England for medical treatment and recuperation over the next two months. After returning to France, he was later promoted to Captain on 1 January 1918 and then was returned to Australia on 1914 leave arriving on 8 February 1919.