Embarkation details shown are for WW1.

"An Army officer was killed and a non-commissioned officer was injured when the north-bound express train struck a military staff car on a level crossing at Tancred street, Ashburton, yesterday afternoon. The victims were: Killed Captain William E. Edmonds, M.B.E.. aged 65, of the New Zealand Permanent Staff, who lived at Belt road, Ashburton. Injured Sergeant Edward Vincent, aged 56, of Grey street, Ashburton. It is believed that the motor-car stalled while travelling west over the crossing, and that the locomotive struck the car in the middle, crushing the door near which Captain Edmonds was sitting. The motor-car was tossed to one side of the railway line after it had been carried about 30 yards, and was badly damaged. Captain Edmonds received head injuries, and died almost instantly. Sergeant Vincent, who was the driver of the car, was admitted to the Ashburton Public Hospital suffering from lacerations. His condition last evening was reported to be satisfactory. An inquest into the death of Captain Edmonds will be opened in Ashburton this morning, when evidence of identification will be taken. CAREER OF CAPTAIN EDMONDS  – Captain Edmonds’s record of military service was one of the longest in the British Empire. He was born at Middlesex, England, and was first associated with the Army when he enlisted with the 2nd Battalion of the King’s (Shropshire) Light Infantry at the age of 14 years. He was ordered to the front with his regiment at the outbreak of the South African War in 1899, and his African service extended until the end of the war. The regiment was quartered with General Smith-Dorrien’s brigade—the famous 19th. He was present at Cronje’s surrender at Paardeberg, and took part in the capture of 10 towns. From Africa he accompanied his regiment to India, where he completed his 21 years of Imperial military service. When the New Zealand Government applied to the Imperial authorities for a limited number of staff-sergeant-major instructors in 1913, he was specially selected by the Commander-in-Chief in India to take up one of the positions. Among the many testimonials which he received at the end of his service in India was one which stated “that he has borne the highest character in the battalion, and is a man of conspicuous ability and honesty.” On his arrival in New Zealand he was temporarily attached at Wellington and Christchurch and was finally selected to take up the position as regimental-sergeant-major of the 2nd South Canterbury Regiment. He embarked with the Main Body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in 1914 with the rank of company-sergeant-major in the Canterbury Regiment. He served in Egypt and Gallipoli, returning to New Zealand in January, 1916, because of a wound received at Gallipoli in May. 1915. “In the landing at Gallipoli, he showed up conspicuously as a good soldier, when, with a young second lieutenant and a handful of men, he held a difficult position against big odds and heavy fire, repelling several night attacks until relieved,” stated a recommendation from his commanding officer.

He rejoined the permanent staff on his return to the Dominion, and since then had been stationed at Waimate and Ashburton, where he was in charge of the Ashburton Defence Office since 1924.

He retired on superannuation in March, 1939, when he had the rank of sergeant-major (W.O.I) but at the outbreak of war in September of that year he was recalled to take charge of the Ashburton district. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in January, 1941, and received his temporary captaincy late in the war. Even at the time of his retirement in 1939 he had the honour of being one of the longest-serving soldiers in the British Empire and his record of service in many parts of the Empire was considered to be unique. In addition to several Great War medals, he held the Queen’s and King’s South African Medals, the Imperial Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, the Colonial Meritorious Service Medal, and the New Zealand Long and Efficient Service Medal. He also held two letters from the War Office, London, stating that at the termination of his service a record should be sent to England by his commanding officer together with the latter’s recommendations for the Meritorious Service Medal of the British Army. In the New Year honours last January, Captain Edmonds was awarded the M.B.E. He was to have retired in about a week." [Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24928, 16 July 1946, Page 4]