Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

William COHEN

William COHEN was the son of James COHEN, a shipwright, and Frances COHEN (nee WHEELER). William’s parents married 6th May 1856 Reg No 215 Hobart, Tasmania (father as COWAN). Frances was 18 and James was 29.

William was born in Glenorchy, Hobart in about 1879. He lived with his parents until he was about three (3) years of age when his father died in about 1882. William and his 2 brothers and 4 sisters were then placed in the care of the State. William had two brothers, his eldest brother Robert (James Robert), left home in about 1890 and in 1920, had not been seen for about 30 years. His second brother, John Henry, also left and was last heard of in Queensland in about 1890.

A Julia Hellenor (Ellener) COHEN, the youngest daughter of the late James COHEN of Glenorchy, is recorded as marrying Sydney Victor SWAN (born 1870, died 1948) on 1 November 1894.

The (Tasmanian) Central Committee for Boarding-out Destitute Children (YA 147) has a William COHEN and a Juia COHEN (815) were ‘apprenticed’ to a Mr Alfred WINTER (photographer) from 21 May 1881 to 21 May 1856 (William) and a Mr RC ? from 28 November 1880 until 28 November 1884 (Julia).

However, according to one of his sisters, William was boarded by the State to a Mrs CAIRNS, Newtown, Hobart, deceased by 1920.

William lived in Tasmania until he was about 20-25 years of age when he moved to Victoria with Bland Holt’s Company, a theatre/burlesque company, and travelled with it for several years. When he enlisted, William was, according to his sister Margaret, working at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne. While in Melbourne, he boarded with Mrs Clara CALDER and enlisted from her address.

Willam joined the 14th Battalion of AIF on 1 October 1914, attesting on 18 September 1914. He was a handyman, aged 35. His next of kin (and guardian but no blood relation) was listed as Mrs Clare (or Clara) CALDER of 93 Napier Street, Fitzroy, Victoria (later of 139 Manningham Street, West Parkville, Victoria, a later of Her Majesty’s Theatre, Sydney, NSW). Mrs CALDER received William’s personal effects consisting of one package, containing a comforter, a pair of mittens, a copy of the New Testament, a web belt, a disc, a R/S badge, a military book, cards, and letters.

William’s religion on enlistment was given as Church of England which conflicts with the 1998 news article which identifies him as one of the 55 Jewish diggers who died at Gallipoli. William was 5 feet 81/4 inches tall, with a medium complexion, grey blue eyes and brown hair. He had vaccination scars on his right and left arms and a burn scar on his inner left thigh.

Willam embarked at Melbourne, Victoria, on the HMAT ‘Ulysses’ on 22 December 1914.

Private COHEN is recorded as dying at sea on 30 April 1915 from wounds (a hernia of the brain) received in action. His war medals were sent to his eldest surviving sister, Mrs Margaret Jane HOLMES , 96 Brisbane Street, Hobart, Tasmania. On 22 September 2015, a certified extract from the cable message reporting Willam’s death was sent to his second eldest sister, Mrs Fanny MYERS, 19 Albert Street, Abbotsford, Victoria, in response to a letter from her dated 12 September 1915.

William’s memorial inscription read ‘No. 43, Pte. W. Cohen, 14th Battalion.’
On 22 January 1917, a letter was sent to the Commandant, AIF Headquarters, Westminister, London, UK about William being listed as a prisoner of war in Turkey.

On 19 October 1920, Clara relinquished any claim to William’s medals in favour of his nearest blood relative.