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War Memorial
Australia

Son of Robert and Elizabeth SCOBIE, "Halcyon", Kanibold Road, Bellevue Hill, Queensland

CAPTAIN W.ALTER F. SCOBIE another old Fort Street boy has been killed in France. He had previously been through the Gallipoli campaign, and had been wounded. He was the  youngest son of Mr. R. Scobie. M.L..A.. and at the time of his death was 26 years old. He wa. till joining the A.I.F.. employed as an electrical engineer at the City sub-station. He had long taken an interest in military matters, his connection with the Scottish Rifles dating from the time he left Fort Street, about 1906. His brother Robert is also in khaki, though on  latest reports he had not left Egypt.

Walter Farmes SCOBIE  was born on 22nd September 1890. He first worked for the Tramways as an electrical junior based in the city from Christmas Eve 1908. By 1909 he had relocated to Balmain. On his 21st birthday his job was re-classified as general labourer. Two years later he had progressed to being a ‘Battery Attendant’ at Central Sub-Station, and then ‘Assistant in Sub-Station’ and ‘Dynamo Attendant’. On 8th May 1915 he was released from duty to join the Expeditionary Force.

He spent six years in the 25th Infantry Regiment (formerly known as the Scottish Rifles) and was studying with a view to obtaining a commission in the military. He had qualified at a competitive examination for appointment as a 2nd Lieutenant on 1st September 1913, well before the outbreak of the war.

He was appointed to the AIF on 10th May 1915, citing his civil employment as an Electrical Engineer and, being single, gave his father living in Bellevue Hill as his next of kin. He was allotted to the 6th Reinforcements to the 13th Battalion as a 2nd Lieutenant. He left Australia almost immediately, embarking at Sydney on HMAT ‘Wandilla’ on 14 June 1915. 

After a rapid transit through Egypt, Scobie reached Gallipoli on 6th August. He was wounded with a gunshot to his skull on 22nd August. This forced his evacuation to England and admission the 2nd London General Hospital which he reached on 10th September. He did not return to the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force in Egypt until 1st February 1916 and re-joined the 13th Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir on 4th March.

On 15th March 1916 Scobie transferred to the 4th Pioneer Battalion and was simultaneously promoted to Lieutenant. Only two months later on 27th May he was further promoted to Captain. In June he embarked at Alexandria for passage to join the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front in France through Marseilles, where he passed on 11th June 1916.

Scobie was killed in action in France on 7th August 1916. Pte J Kinniburgh (2836) reported:

‘Capt. Scobie was commanding A. Co. at Pozières. About 4. a.m. he was in charge of us (a working party) digging in front of the line. We got word to retire, but before we could do so a shell came killing and burying Capt. Scobie and others. Next morning his batman went out and buried him where he lay; the Germans were afterwards driven back a long way, so his grave is now safe and will not be disturbed and it has a cross with his name.’

He was buried S of Pozières 3½ miles N E of Albert. In the rationalisation of cemeteries after the war the grave was located, and the remains exhumed and re-interred in Pozières British Cemetery.