Can you help us find Ned?

Edward (Ned) Patrick Coady was born on 6 January 1876 in Hokitika, on the rugged West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. He was one of seven children born to Maurice Coady (1845–1914) and Catherine Mary O’Brien (1848–1933), Irish immigrants who had made their home in New Zealand. Ned’s siblings were Mary, Bridget, Ellen, Catherine, Ammelda, and Maurice. He was raised in a devout Roman Catholic household and educated locally.

As a young man, Edward joined the New Zealand Defence Department, rising to the position of Assistant Director of Defence Stores in Wellington. He also served in the Submarine Mining Corps (permanent force) and held the rank of lieutenant in the Territorial Forces. Well known for his sporting prowess, Ned was a prominent rugby forward and rower, representing Otago and Wellington in senior competitions. Tall and athletic, he was admired for his leadership on the field and his quiet discipline off it.

At the outbreak of the First World War, Ned Coady held the rank of Lieutenant in the New Zealand Territorial Forces and was serving as Assistant Director of Defence Stores in Wellington. He was then promoted to rank of Captain and stationed with the Headquarters of the Canterbury Mounted Rifles. He embarked with the Main Body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) in late 1914, heading for Egypt aboard a troopship as part of the initial wave of New Zealand soldiers sent to the front.

Ned was part of the early administrative and logistical backbone supporting the New Zealand forces in Egypt. During this time, he was well-regarded both professionally and socially — remembered in newspaper reports as “a well-known figure in local football and rowing circles.” In March 1915, he returned to New Zealand in charge of a transport carrying 21 invalided soldiers and 12 military prisoners, delivering the men safely back to Dunedin.

The returning invalids were suffering from chronic conditions such as asthma, lung troubles, and rheumatism, but were expected to return to duty. The prisoners — some from Egypt and some from Albany — were escorted under armed guard and taken to Wellington to face court martial. Newspapers praised Ned’s leadership, physical fitness, and calm authority. Speaking to The Press upon arrival, he dismissed troubling rumours of misconduct in Egypt and commended the New Zealand soldiers’ behaviour and discipline:

While he had done very well in the military, he felt unprepared for war leadership and he wished to revert to private and serve in the ranks alongside ordinary men. His request to resigned his commission was refused on 5 April 1915. He left the NZ Army, travelled to Sydney, Australia and on 21 April he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force as a private.

Ned’s niece, Helen, the daughter of Ned’s sister Catherine, later wrote:

While in Sydney, he met Isobel Edith Quinsey, a Sydney-born widow whose first husband, John Joseph Wall, had died in 1910. Isobel had lived in Sydney all her life. After a short romance, and just six days before he sailed from Australia, the two were married. Their home was at 171 Jones Street, Ultimo, New South Wales. With this tight timing, his Army records retained his mother as being his next of kin, but Ned had not told his his mother that he had married. Isobel did sort out her being the legitimate next of kin with the Army in June 1916:

Ned enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 21 April 1915 at Liverpool, New South Wales. He was posted to A Company, 30th Battalion, a unit of the newly formed 8th Brigade. Ned embarked from Sydney on 9 November 1915 aboard HMAT A72 Beltana. After landing in Egypt on 11 December 1915, the battalion commenced training in the desert camps near Tel-el-Kebir. During this period, Ned was promoted and held the rank of Sergeant by the time the battalion reached France.

Ned was hospitalised on 21 April 1916 and was admitted to the 15th Field Ambulance at Ferry Post with nephritis, a kidney condition. He was transferred through a series of medical facilities before rejoining his unit on 25 May 1916, just in time for the 30th Battalion’s deployment to the Western Front. The Battalion left Egypt for the Western Front on 16 June 1916 on HMAT Hororata and arrived in Marseilles on 23 June. After landing, they were immediately entrained for a 60+ hour train ride to Hazebrouck, 30 km from Fleurbaix. They arrived on 29 June and then encamped in Morbecque.

Private F.R. Sharp (2134) wrote home:

The area near Fleurbaix was known as the “Nursery Sector” – a supposedly relatively quiet area where inexperienced Allied troops could learn the harsh realities of Western Front trench warfare against the Germans. But the quiet times and the training period did not last long. Training now included the use of gas masks and they also would have heard the heavy artillery from the front lines.

On 8 July they were headed to the front lines, first to Estaires, 20 km and the next day 11 km to Erquinghem, where they were billeted at Jesus Farm. They got their first ‘taste’ of being in the front lines at 9 PM on 10 July. A week later, they got orders for an attack, but it was postponed due to the weather. In his final letter home Charles Albert Woods (2194 30th Bn) summed up the situation he found himself in:

Then, on 19 July, the 29 officers and 927 other ranks of the 30th Battalion were into battle. The overall plan was to use brigades from the Australian Fifth Division to conduct a diversionary assault on the German trenches at Fromelles. The 30th Battalion’s role was to provide support for the attacking 31st and 32nd Battalions by digging trenches and providing carrying parties for supplies and ammunition.

They would be called in as reserves if needed for the fighting. On 19 July, Zero Hour for advancing from their front-line trenches was to be 5.45 PM, but the Germans knew this attack was coming and were well-prepared. They opened a massive artillery bombardment on the Australians at 5.15 PM, causing chaos and many casualties. The 32nd’s charge over the parapet began at 5.53 PM and the 31st’s at 5.58 PM. There were machine gun emplacements to their left and directly ahead at Delrangre Farm and there was heavy artillery fire in No-Man’s-Land.

The initial assaults were successful and by 6.30 PM the Aussies were in control of the German’s 1st line system (Trench B in the diagram below), which was described as :

While their role was to be in support, commanders on scene made the decision to use the 30th as much-needed fighting reinforcements. A necessary act, but it had consequences as it interfered with the planned flow of supplies:

By 8.30 PM the Australians’ left flank had come under heavy bombardment with high explosives and shrapnel. Return bombardment support was provided and they were told that “the trenches were to be held at all costs”.

Source: AWM4 23/49/12, 32nd Battalion War Diaries, July 1916, page 12

When the 30th was formally called to provide fighting support at 10.10 pm, Lieutenant-Colonel Clark of the 30th reported:

Fighting continued through the night. The Australians made a further charge at the main German line beyond Trench B, but they were low on grenades, there was machine-gun fire from behind from the emplacement at Delangre Farm and they were so far advanced that they were getting shelled by both sides. At 4.00 AM the Germans began an attack from the Australian’s left flank, bombing and advancing into Trench A (map).

Given the Australian advances that had been made earlier, portions of the rear Trench E had been left almost empty, which then enabled the Germans to be in a position to surround the soldiers. At 5.30 AM the Germans attacked from both flanks in force and with bombing parties. Having only a few grenades left, the only resistance the 31st could offer was with rifles:

By 10.00 AM on the 20th, the Germans had repelled the Australian attack and the 30th Battalion were pulled out of the trenches. The nature of this battle was summed up by Private Jim Cleworth (784) from the 29th:

Initial figures of the impact of the battle on the 30th were 54 killed, 230 wounded and 68 missing.

To get some perspective of the battle, when Charles Bean, Australia’s official war historian, attended the battlefield two and half years later, he observed a large quantity of bones, torn uniforms and Australian kit still on the battlefield. The ultimate total was that 125 soldiers of the 30th Battalion were either killed or died from wounds and of this total 80 were missing/unidentified.

As the battle began, the role of the 30th was in support and Ned was leading one of the parties digging communication trenches (“saps”) as the troops advanced, BUT these saps had to be dug while under direct machine gun fire. Ned was last seen alive on the night of 19 July 1916, during the digging of the saps. In keeping with his leadership and egalitarian views, Ned was leading his men by example, putting himself at or more at risk than the men he was leading. As in the reports after the battle, his men clearly believed in his leadership. However, with the severity of the battle, this cost him his life.

Corporal Arthur James Langbein (1302), A Company wrote:

“On July 19/20 at Fromelles, the Battalion was digging a sap, and as soon as Sgt. Coady had dug deep enough to afford cover, he gave his place up to another and went on digging. He was killed while thus exposing himself. He gave up one place to Cpl. Burgess, A Company. He was a New Zealander.

He was a hero if ever there was one.”

From Lieutenant John Henry Facey, 30th Battalion:

“Coady was in charge of his section digging a sap towards the German lines at Fromelles on 19–20th July. He got out of his own position which was fairly safe and put in this position a couple of young privates of his section who were in a more dangerous position and took charge of this more dangerous position. He had no sooner taken charge when he was shot by a machine gun. He was buried where he fell in the sap. Sgt. Coady was a hero and thought very highly of by his men.”

Source: Red Cross Wounded and Missing File – Edward Coady page 4 and page 5

Ned’s leadership in this dangerous task — stepping into the line of fire to protect his men — earned him admiration from his officers and peers.

Though initally reported missing, in mid-September he was confirmed as having been killed in action on 20 July 1916. However, his body had not been found.

With the scale of the battle, ‘hard’ news about any of the missing soldiers was scarce, much to the dismay of both of Ned’s families at home. For Ned’s case, it was even more complicated since his mother was not aware that he had married. Both Isobel and Catherine were in contact with the Army seeking further details, but the Army had little to offer. The Red Cross witness statements about his death were collected in December 1916, but it does not appear that these were passed on to either family.

Ned’s niece, Helen, reflects the cost to the family:

Ned was posthumously awarded the 1914–15 Star, British War Medal, and Victory Medal, which were given to Isobel.

His name is engraved on:

Though he has no known grave, his legacy is enduring. He is remembered as a soldier who lived by example, acted with courage, and died protecting those in his care.

After the battle, the Germans recovered 250 Australian soldiers and placed them in a burial pit at Pheasant Wood. This grave was discovered in 2008 and since then efforts have been underway to identify these soldiers by DNA testing from family members. As of 2024, 180 of the soldiers have been identified, including 26 of the 80 unidentified soldiers from the 30th Battalion.

We welcome all branches of Ned’s family to come forward to donate DNA to help with his identification. If you know anything of family contacts in Hokitika or Wellington, New Zealand or Wexford (or other) Ireland, please contact the Fromelles Association. We hope that one day Ned will be named and honoured with a known grave.

Please visit Fromelles.info to follow the ongoing identification project and William’s story.