Walter Durham COOMBES

Walter Durham Coombes was the third of eight children of Herbert Henry Coombes and his wife Charlotte Hopper Rodd of Hambledon, Cairns.  His parents had arrived from England on the “Corona” on 6 March 1884 in Townsville with their first child, Annie, age 2.  They subsequently had Charlotte (1885), Walter (1888), Samuel (1890), Katherine (1892), Elizabeth (1895), Herbert (1899), William (1900) and Dorothy (1902).

Walter was a labourer living at Hambledon where his father was a farmer when Walter enlisted in Cairns with the 9th Field Artillery Brigade on 18 November 1915.  He was 28 years 8 months of age, 5 feet 7 inches in height and weighed 124 pounds with a fair complexion, blue eyes and fair hair.  He was Church of England.

His brother Samuel enlisted on 19 June 1916 and returned to Australia in March 1917 after being wounded in France.

Walter embarked from Sydney on 11 May 1916 on the HMAT Argyllshire.  He arrived in Plymouth, England on 10 July 1916 where he was admitted to hospital, having been sick on the voyage.  He proceeded to France on 24 November 1916 and was again admitted to hospital sick 2 weeks later.  He returned to duty, but over the next 7 months he was admitted to either hospital or the Casualty Clearing Station several times.  He left France on 11 July 1917 and was admitted to Southwark Military Hospital, East Dulwich on 3 August.  He was discharged 27 September and was with a Training Brigade until 1 March 1918 when he left Southampton to return to France.

Sometime during his stay in England, he married Evelyn Victoria Matthews in Pontypridd, Wales and she became his next of kin.  Her address was Hillside, Llwynypia, Rhondda Valley, South Wales.

Gunner Coombes arrived back in France on 16 March and was killed in action on 30 May 1918.  He was buried at Ribemont Communal Cemetery Extension, Ribemont, Picardie, France.