People Australia

Edwin Arthur Frewin, n.d. photographer unknown

from Bank of NSW Roll of Honour

EDWIN ARTHUR FREWIN, son of Mr. E. E. Frewin, Chief Clerk of Railways at Newcastle, was born at Wickham, Newcastle, on 23rd June, 1894. He was educated at the Wickham Superior Public School, and passed the Education, Public Service and Bankers’ Examinations while a student at the District High School at Wagga Wagga. He was a bright scholar with literary tastes, and won the Chanter Prize for an essay on the Riverina while at Junee Public School. His first examination resulted in an offer to join the Government service in the Under-Secretary’s Department of the Education Office, but he preferred a position in the Bank of New South Wales at Junee, which he took up on 30th September, 1910, serving subsequently at Temora in 1913, Cootamundra in 1914, and at Leeton, as assistant, in 1915.

He enlisted in the Broadmeadow Camp, at Newcastle, in April, 1916, and served on the Western Front with the 1st Machine Gun Battalion from 31st December, 1917.

He was practically in the line up to the time of his death on 19th September, 1918. There is an entry in his diary on this date, bearing the words “ In the line” ; this was written at Hargicourt at dusk. Privates McGlinn and F. J. Gates were with him working the gun when Private James left them at dusk for a few minutes and found on his return that all three men had been killed by a shell and the gun destroyed.