Edmund Watmough was born in Bramley, Yorkshire, in March, 1891, the son of teacher, John Watmough, and his wife Helen Mary Watmough.

He was one of three brothers who where were killed in the war, and one of two who are known to have attended Westoe Secondary School, the other being John Cyril Watmough.

Their father was a Languages and Science teacher, but turned to politics and had moved the family to South Shields in the 1890s, where he became Conservative Party election agent, and later moved to London, on his own, where he was "Secretary to Political Association".

It is unknown when he attended Westoe Secondary School, but by the age of 20 he was a clerk in a newspaper office.

He served as Bombadier with the Royal Field Artillery, and was killed in action in Flanders, at Bapaume, Pas-de-Calais, on 31-Aug-1918. He is buried in the Achiet-le-Grand communal cemetery extension, near the Somme, about 20km north-east of Albert.