Edward Lawrence Jarrett was born at Melbourne on 14 January 1896 to Edward and Ann (nee Parr) Jarrett. At some stage after Edward was born, the family moved to Narrabri in New South Wales before relocating to the southern Sydney suburb of Kogarah.
Edward was working as a clerk with the Sydney Harbour Trust when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in December 1915 after previously serving with the Citizen Militia Forces. He embarked on board HMAT Argyllshire on 11 May 1916 with the 7th Field Artillery Brigade and was appointed driver prior to arriving in France. Attached to the 26th Battery, Edward arrived with the 7th Field Artillery Brigade on the Western Front in January 1917, and within days was seeing action around Armentieres in northern France.
Edward was wounded on several occasions during active service in France. On the first occasion marching to Dickebusch in September 1917, he suffered a gunshot wound to the left elbow and right arm. After three months convalescing in England, he returned to his unit in February 1918. He received a gunshot wound to the chest and right leg in August 1918 during the Allied Somme Offensive. This was the end of the war for Edward, who returned to Australia in March 1919 after treatment in England.
When he returned home, he married Rita Mary Field in Melbourne on 11 December 1920. The couple lived in Sydney, where Edward variously worked as a civil servant and manager.
Edward Lawrence Jarrett died in Sydney on 28 August 1978.