HOMER, Victor William Marshall
| Service Numbers: | 1915, 1917 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 18 January 1916, Casula, NSW |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 57th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Concord, New South Wales, Australia, 27 September 1888 |
| Home Town: | Coraki, Lismore Municipality, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Coraki Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Fuelman |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 27 February 1918, aged 29 years |
| Cemetery: |
La Plus Douve Farm Cemetery, Wallonie, Belgium III C 3 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Blayney and Milthorpe District Roll of Honor, Coraki Honour Board, Coraki War Memorial, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 18 Jan 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1915, 59th Infantry Battalion, Casula, NSW | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 May 1916: | Involvement Private, 1917, 59th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '20' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Lincoln embarkation_ship_number: A17 public_note: '' | |
| 4 May 1916: | Embarked Private, 1917, 59th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Port Lincoln, Melbourne | |
| 27 Feb 1918: | Involvement Private, 1917, 57th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1917 awm_unit: 57 Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1918-02-27 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Elizabeth Allen
Victor William Marshall HOMER was born in Concord, Sydney, NSW on 27th September 1888
His parents were Albin Eather HOMER & Alicia Jane MARSHALL who married in Sydney in 1885
Biography contributed by John Oakes
Victor William Marshall HOMER was born at Concord in Sydney on 27th September 1888. He grew up at Coraki on the NSW North Coast, where he went to the local public school. On 19th January 1914 he joined the NSW Government Railways and Tramways as a fuelman (casual) in the Locomotive Branch at Eveleigh. On 6th May 1914 his position was made permanent.
On 22nd January 1916 he was granted leave to join the Expeditionary Forces.
He joined the AIF on 18th January 1916 with the rank of Private (Service Number 1917) and he was posted to the 2nd or 3rd Reinforcements to the 59th Infantry Battalion. He nominated his father, Albin Homer of Coraki, NSW, as his next of kin.
His fiancee was Doris Clifton of North Sydney.
Victor disembarked at Suez, Egypt, from HMAT H7 ‘Port Lincoln’ on 10th June 1916 He was taken on strength at the 5th Division Details on 9h July 1916. On 2nd August 1916 he left Egypt. He disembarked at Marseilles on 8th August 1916. He was then attached to the 15th Training Battalion. He went to England on 21st August 1916 and proceeded to the 15th Training Battalion’s base at Codford.
On 31st December 1916 he left England for France. After two days at the 5th Australian Division Base Depot he was sent to the 57th Infantry Battalion on 2nd January 1917 and was taken on strength on 4th January 1917. He was on duty with this unit until 5th September 1917 when he went to England on leave. He returned on 20th September 1917.
He was killed in action at Messines in Belgium on 27th February 1918.
Depositions in his Red Cross Enquiry File provide more information on the circumstances. Corporal W J Archer (321) of B Company, 57th Infantry Battalion, stated:
‘He was of B Company. On 27th February at Messines near Company H.Q. killed outright by a shell. Same shell killed my brother, Private A. Archer (711) and Private Len Lynch, both of B Company. I was a few feet away and was talking to my brother. Homer was badly cut about. Was buried in Military Cemetery at Wolverghem behind Messines. A good grave and cross erected. All three buried alongside one another. I was at burial, padre held service. I helped to put crosses up over each grave. I knew him as Home.’
Private L. F. Walsh (3301) of D Company, 57th Infantry Battalion, stated:
‘I saw him killed instantly by a shell. He was blown to pieces. He was buried just in front of Messines by a party from the company, the battalion Padre conducted the service at the grave. … I knew him well in the company, he was a signaller at the time.’
Victor’s grave is in La Plus Douve Farm Cemetery, La Plus Douve, Wallonie, Belgium. The Australian War Memorial gives his place of association as Coraki, NSW.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.
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