CONNOR, Eden Dennis
Eden Dennis Connor was born in Woodville near Adelaide in August 1887, he was the youngest son of George Alexander Connor and Jessie Hall Simpson.
He moved from South Australia and married Maria Elsie Conliffe in Victoria in 1911
In 1914 he is listed on the electoral Roll as living with his wife at 17 Hughes Street North Carlton. his profession is listed as hairdresser. It appears that his life sytle is somewhat transiant as when he enlisted he lists his address as 102 Albert Street East Melbourne. The relationship with his wife is rocky and it appears from correspondance , see below, that she walks out on him and he decides to enlist.
He enlisted on the 8 November 1915 at Melbourne. He is a 28 year old small man of 5'2'' weighing only 9 stone 10lb. He is still married and lists his occupaion as Clerk. He is heaverly tattoed with 5 tattoos on his left arm and totoos on both legs and his right arm.
He is enlisted as a private and allocated to the 5th Battalian, 15th Refit unit. On enlistment he spends several weeks at Royal Park and then spends six weeks at Ballarat 14 Depot Battalian for training.
On the 7 March 1916 he embarks from Melbourne on HMAS Wilshire [TA 18] proceeding to Eygpt. At the stop in Colombo he is charged with leaving the ship without permission and is given 168 hours of detention by his Co Lt. Col Henly.
After several weeks in Eygpt he is taken on strengh with the 59 Battalian and on leaving Duntroon Plateau he embarks from Alaxandria on the Kinfauns Castle on the 18 June 1916 on route to Marseilles, arriving there on the 29 June 1916.
The 59th Battalian is order to the front line at Pinneys Avenue on the 18 July 1916 releiving the 60 Battalian. Heavy bombardment until 7.00pm on the 19th when four waves of the 59 th attack the entrenched german lines. The full days action is listed in the War Diary of the 59th below. The casulty rate id terrible, 13 O/R are killed outright, 269 O/R are missing, 381 O/R are wounded and a further 11 died of wounds within 24 hours making a total of 674 casulties from one battalian in one day of action. Eden is reported wounded in action on the 19 July 1916 which is amended to Killed in Action on the same date. presumed buried in 'No mans Land'
The marrage relationship is still tense and there is no forwarding address for his wife to be notified of his death. His brother reads of Eden's demise in the paper and follows up to get official confirmation.In December 1916 his wife and daughter Margaret who are now living at 99 Leopold street are granted a pension of 40 Shilling and 20 shillings per fortnight. His wife is still moving regularly and for several years the pension is paid via the St Kilda post office as no actual address is listed.