Edwards VC Rest Area
Majura, ACT
Federal Highway (M23)
At a Glance
About
The Edwards VC Rest Area is the final stop — stop 20 of 20 — on the Remembrance Driveway, sitting just off the Federal Highway (M23) at Majura in the ACT as southbound travellers make their approach toward Canberra. It is a fitting place to pause at the end of this memorial route, which has carried travellers through the stories of twenty Victoria Cross recipients across New South Wales and the ACT. This rest area honours Wing Commander Hughie Idwal Edwards, one of Australia's most decorated airmen of the Second World War. Born in Fremantle, Western Australia, on 1 August 1914 to Welsh immigrant parents, Edwards joined the RAAF in 1935 before being granted a short service commission with the Royal Air Force. By 1941 he was commanding No. 105 Squadron RAF, flying Blenheim medium bombers from England while on secondment from the RAAF. On 4 July 1941, Edwards led a formation of twelve Blenheim bombers on a low-level daylight raid against the heavily defended port of Bremen, Germany — a mission of extraordinary danger. Flying without cloud cover, all twelve aircraft were hit by anti-aircraft fire and four were shot down. Edwards pressed home the attack at extremely low altitude, displaying courage and determination that earned him the Victoria Cross. He died in Sydney on 5 August 1982, just four days after his 68th birthday. As the concluding stop on the Remembrance Driveway, this rest area invites travellers to reflect on the full weight of the journey they have completed. The facility is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and is suitable for trucks and caravans. Standard roadside amenities are available, making it a practical final stop before continuing into Canberra.
Victoria Cross Recipient
Wing Commander Hughie Idwal Edwards VC
No. 105 Squadron RAF (RAAF secondment)
Hughie Idwal Edwards was born at Fremantle, Western Australia, on 1 August 1914, the third of five children of Welsh immigrant parents. He joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1935 and a year later was granted a short service commission with the Royal Air Force. By 1941 he was serving as Acting Wing Commander commanding No. 105 Squadron RAF, flying Blenheim medium bombers from England.
On 4 July 1941, Edwards led a formation of twelve Blenheim bombers in a daring low-level daylight raid against the port of Bremen, one of the most heavily defended targets in Germany. Flying without cloud cover, the aircraft were exposed to devastating anti-aircraft fire from the outset. All twelve bombers were hit and four were shot down, but Edwards pressed home the attack at extremely low altitude, personally leading the formation through a storm of flak. His own aircraft was struck more than twenty times, yet he continued to his target, bombed accurately, and brought his damaged aircraft safely back to England. His coolness, courage, and leadership were an inspiration to the entire squadron.
Edwards was awarded the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Service Order, and the Distinguished Flying Cross during his wartime career. After the war he served as Governor of Western Australia from 1974 to 1975. He died on 5 August 1982 at the age of sixty-eight. Edwards remains the only Western Australian-born recipient of the Victoria Cross to have also served as a state governor.
Born 1 August 1914, Fremantle, WA. Died 5 August 1982, Sydney, NSW.
References
Remembrance Driveway →
Stop 20 of 20 along the Remembrance Driveway
View all 20 stops
- Sir Roden Cutler VC Rest Area
- Partridge VC Rest Area Southbound
- Kenna VC Rest Area
- Keith Payne VC Rest Area
- Gordon VC Rest Area
- Mackey VC Rest Area
- Kingsbury VC Rest Area
- Chowne VC Rest Area
- Derrick VC Rest Area
- French VC Rest Area
- Kibby VC Rest Area
- Edmondson VC Rest Area
- Gratwick VC Rest Area
- Gurney VC Rest Area
- Badcoe VC Rest Area
- Wheatley VC Rest Area
- Anderson VC Rest Area
- Middleton VC Rest Area
- Newton VC Rest Area
- Edwards VC Rest Area
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EPIC (Exhibition Park Campground)
$? · 4.6km