Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Donkeyman George Herbert Coles BEM enlisted in the Merchant Navy on 4 April 1942 - a Donkeyman was in charge of a small auxiliary engine, usually used when the ship was in port. He was awarded the British Empire Medal (London Gazette Tuesday 13 October 1942) for gallantry at sea when his ship was torpedoed in the Atlantic Ocean off the east coast of America - the third ship torpedoed under him within eleven months. 'The ship was struck by torpedoes. She was gravely damaged and it seemed that she must sink. The engines were stopped and the crew taken off. Later she was reboarded by the Master and a volunteer party consisting the Second and Fourth Chief Engineers and a Donkeyman. It was due to their untiring efforts and determination that the vessel was kept afloat and eventually brought safely to port'. (London Gazette).

Born in 1917 in Wiltshire England, George was the second of eight children of Sydney Thomas Coles (b1889 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England) and Florence Revell (b1895 in Hull, Yorkshire, England). Sydney (a Soldier) and Florence married in 1915 in Yorkshire, England. Sydney served in France and India (Gunner; Regimental No:13462) with the Royal Field Artillery. Sydney and his family was in Calcutta, India in 1927 when they immigrated, arriving in Fremantle WA on board the Shirala. Sydney initially was a Settler in Denmark WA before settling in ALbany WA where he was a Clerk.

George was in Newfoundland, Canada with the Merchant Navy when he married Iris Josephine Ronayne (b1923 in St John's, Newfoundland, Canada). George died from pneumonia in 1943.