Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War 1917 ‘Battle of Arras’ M.M. group of four awarded to Sergeant E. Bastings, 6th Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps, Australian Imperial Force

Military Medal, G.V.R. (7847 Sjt: E. Bastings. 6/F.A. Aust: A.M.C.); 1914-15 Star (7847 Pte. E. Bastings. 1/G. Hosp. A.I.F.); British War Medal (7847 T-W.O.-2 E. Bastings. 1 G. Hosp. A.I.F.); Victory Medal (7847 T-WO-2 E. Bastings. 1 A. G.H. A.I.F.) mounted for display, generally very fine (4) £700-£900

M.M. London Gazette 9 July 1917. The original recommendation states:

‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in action near Bullecourt on 3rd May 1917. He carried out his work fearlessly and well under heavy shell fire and saved valuable lives by his skill and untiring energy.’

Edwin Bastings was born in St. Albans, Victoria, in 1892, and enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, at Melbourne, 5 July 1915. He served at the Depot Clearing Hospital prior to embarking for overseas service in October 1915. Bastings was promoted to Sergeant in February 1916, and stopped at Egypt and England on route for service in France. He served with the 6th Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps in the French theatre of war from November 1916, and was attached to 24th Australian Infantry Battalion for medical duties from the following month.

Bastings was awarded the M.M. for his gallantry in action near Bullecourt, 3 May 1917. The 6th Field Ambulance’s War Diary gives the following for the latter date:

‘Stretcher cases began to arrive about 7 a.m. and came steadily all day and night 3rd /4th. All patients were housed and no cases were kept waiting for cars to take them to C C S . 720 patients passed through by 7 p.m.’

The 24th Battalion had been in action on the Hindenburg Line suffering casualties that day of 2 officers and 35 other ranks killed in action, 9 officers and 221 other ranks wounded, and 2 officers and 116 other ranks missing.

Bastings returned to Australia in May 1919, and was discharged in July of the same year. After the war he was employed as an Architect Draughtsman by Gibbs, Finlay and Morsby Architects, Melbourne.