Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Thomas and Violet Thorpe. Edward was the eldest son of a family of nine children, and left school at the age of twelve determined to earn his own living. He wished to become a gamekeeper, and entered the service of the Earl of Ancaster at Normanton Park where he made good progress, but at the age of sixteen his father met with a serious accident. He was therefore called on to help his father in his business as a carting contractor and assist in bringing up his younger brothers and sisters, which he did with characteristic cheerfulness and self sacrifice. Before the outbreak of war he had been for four years a member of the Oakham Territorial Force and on September 12th 1914 joined the 1st/5th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment with his brother John. He experienced many narrow escape's in the fighting in Belgium, where he was sent on the 27th February 1915, but ultimately met his fate by an explosive bullet which entered his chest, and he died in hospital near Ypres. His Commanding Officer wrote:- He was, at the time he was hit nobly defending his trench. He was much liked by everyone. I personally always looked upon him as one of my best soldiers. He was always cheerful and popular amongst his comrades. The War Diary for today records. ZILLEBEKE. Normal.