Edward Charles Wilkin was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, the son of Edward Wilkin (1856-1935) and Emily Matilda Wilkin née Gunner (1861-1918).
He departed Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, with his parents aboard the S.S. Hohenstaufen of the Norddeutscher Lloyd line and the ship arrived in Southampton, Hampshire, on 21 June 1893. The ship's manifest records his age as one year which would indicate he was born in either late 1891 or early 1892. His father's occupation was recorded as a labourer.
His sister, Alice Edith Wilkin (1894-1975) was born on 25 July 1894 and her birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1894 in the Weymouth registration district, Dorset.
In the 1901 census he is shown as living at 66 Trundleys Road, Deptford, with his parents and his sister. His father was described as a carpenter and joiner.
When his father completed his 1911 census return form he was shown as a general clerk & book-keeper for a lapidaries company living in three rooms at 141 Trundleys Road, Deptford, with his father and sister. His father described himself as a wood joiner.
On 23 June 1917 he married Amy Phyliss Elizabeth Wiseman (1893-1945) in St Nicholas Church, Deptford. The marriage register entry shows him to be aged 25 years, a bachelor and a Serjeant in the M.P.S.C. living at 20 Hanlon Street, Deptford, whilst his wife was described as aged 23 years, a spinster of 58 Trundleys Road. Deptford. (M.P.S.C. is an abbreviation for Military Police Staff Corps).
He was serving as a Serjeant in the 160th Protection Company, Royal Defence Corps, service number 37967, when he died on 23 November 1918 from pneumonia in Lewisham Military Hospital, 390 High Street, Lewisham and was buried in Plot Z, Grave 316 in Brockley Cemetery, Brockley Road, Brockley, where he is commemorated on the War Memorial's Screen Wall as Serjeant E. C. Wilkin, Royal Defence Corps. His death was registered in the 4th quarter of 1918 in the Lewisham registration district where his age was given as 26 years. He is erroneously shown as Private E. Wilkin on the Lewisham Military Hospital War Memorial.
His age is given as 27 years in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website. His army effects and war gratuity totalling £14-0s-0d were sent to his widow on 7 May 1919. He is also commemorated in the Lewisham War Memorials website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
