BORN HULL 25/12/1891. THE FOURTH SON OF MRS ANNIE COX, WHO RAN A BOARDING HOUSE AT 22 MIDDLE STREET, HULL. HE WAS THE FOURTH OF FIVE BROTHER. EMPLOYED AS A MARINE FIREMAN.
EDWARD EMIGRATED TO CANADA IN 1914. HIS CANADIAN ARMY RECORDS DESCRIBE HIM AS 5 FOOT 8 INCHES TALL, 164 LBS WEIGHT, 36 INCH CHEST, “GOOD” PHYSICAL CONDITION, BLUE EYES, BROWN HAIR, SCAR ON LEFT CHEEK BONE AND ROMAN CATHOLIC RELIGION.
HE ENLISTED IN THE 34TH CEF, IN LONDON, ONTARIO, ON 30/06/1915, AGED 22. ARRIVED IN ENGLAND ON THE SS ‘CALIFORNIA’ ON 01/11/1915. ARRIVED IN FRANCE, ON 08/05/1916. TRANSFERRED TO THE 13TH CANADIAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE (CEF). APPOINTED LANCE CORPORAL, ON 13/06/1916. HE HAD MANY NARROW ESCAPES BEING HIT BY SHRAPNEL, GASSED AND BURIED IN ATRENCH FROM WHICH HE HAD BEEN DUG OUT . HE WAS AWARDED HIS STRIPES FOR RESCUING A SERGEANT MAJOR, WHO HAD ALSO BEEN BURIED BY AN EXPLOSION. HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION, AT YPRES, ON 27/06/1916.
A SINGLE MAN. HIS MEDALS AND ARMY EFFECTS WERE LEFT TO HIS MOTHER, ANNIE. HIS THREE BROTHERS, WIILIAM, JAMES AND JOHN COX ALSO SERVED IN THE WAR.
HIS DEATH WAS REPORTED IN THE HULL DAILY MAIL, ON 19/07/1916. *
THESE DETAILS ARE ALSO FROM THE CANADIAN VIRTUAL MEMORIAL.
