E WHITE

2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles
Service No: 4846
Born: 27 February 1896, Ystradyfodwg, Glamorgan
Missing in Action: 24 March 1918, Somme, France (aged 22)
Commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial, France, Panels 74–76

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Edmund White—known affectionately as Ned—was born on 27 February 1896 in Gelli, Rhondda, to James and Catherine (“Kate”) White, both of whom were Irish immigrants from Mullinavat, County Kilkenny. Edmund was a first-generation Welshman.

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He was the youngest of four children, with three sisters: Margaret, Mary Ann, and Catherine (“Kate”). In 1891, the White family arrived in South Wales, seeking opportunity in the thriving coalfields. The 1901 Census places the family in Gelly Road, Ystradyfodwg, with James working as a Colliery Timberman (Below Ground) and Edmund just five years old.

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By 1911, the family had relocated to 7 Sebastopol Row, Troedrhiwfuwch, where Edmund, now 15, worked alongside his father in the mines as a Colliery Boy. The family established deep roots in the community—his niece, Evelyn McLoughlin (daughter of his sister Catherine), would later die in Troedrhiwfuwch in 1920, aged just 2.

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As war broke out and loyalty to both country and heritage compelled many, Edmund enlisted with the Royal Irish Rifles, joining the 2nd Battalion as Rifleman 4846. His choice to serve in an Irish regiment reflected his family’s deep connection to their homeland.

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On 24 March 1918, during the Second Battle of the Somme, Edmund was reported missing in action, aged just 22. This battle was part of the German Spring Offensive, and losses were devastating. He was never recovered, and is now commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial in France, which honours over 14,000 British soldiers who have no known grave.

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His father, James, by then living at 4 Rising Sun Row, would have received the devastating news of his son’s fate. Though Edmund’s life was brief, his story resonates across generations.

 

“My great uncle Edmund "Ned" White was born in Gelli in the Rhondda in 1896, however he spent much of his short life in Sebastopol, Troedrhiwfuwch. He joined the Royal Irish Rifles in 1916 as his parents were Irish from Mullinavat in Co. Kilkenny. He was reported missing presumed dead during the second battle of the Somme on 24th March 1918 aged 22.”
Anthony McLoughlin – Great Nephew

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🕊️ “To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.”