Edgar Gilhooley was born in Ballarat and was a Farrier when he enlisted in the 5th Battalion, 7th Reinforcement on 28 April 1915 at the age of 21. His unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A64 Demosthenes on 16 July 1915. He sailed first to Egypt then to Lemnos in November for the last month of the Gallipoli campaign. Back in Egypt in early 1916 he was transferred to the 2nd Australian Light Trench Mortar Battery with whom he served in France. On May 19th 1918 he was wounded in action, suffering a severe gunshot wound to his left thigh which necessitated his evacuation to the No. 1 Military Hospital at Canterbury in England. He did not return to the front. When the war was over he returned to Australia on the Soudan and reached Melbourne on June 26th 1919. In October 1972 he received an R.S.L. Service Award æin recognition of 50 years of service to the R.S.L., ex-servicemen and women, and to their dependents'.
Tree No 679