COBURN, Hugh
| Service Numbers: | 1528, 1528A |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 11 December 1914, Liverpool, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Geelong, Victoria, 22 June 1892 |
| Home Town: | Geelong, Greater Geelong, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farm Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Gallipoli, Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey, 7 August 1915, aged 23 years |
| Cemetery: |
Lone Pine Cemetery, ANZAC Row N - Grave 18, Lone Pine Cemetery, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 11 Dec 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1528, Liverpool, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Feb 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1528, 3rd Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Seang Choon embarkation_ship_number: A49 public_note: '' | |
| 11 Feb 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1528, 3rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Seang Choon, Sydney | |
| 7 Aug 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1528A, 3rd Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1528A awm_unit: 3 Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1915-08-07 |
2015 D Peters
I have been researching a Digger that was allocated to me to research for a holiday I'm about to embark on.
So, I would like to introduce you to 1528 Private Hugh Coburn 3rd Australian Infantry Battalion. 1528 Private Hugh Coburn was a 22 years and 6 months old farm labourer when he enlisted in Victoria on the 11 December 1914. He was 5 foot 5, 10 stone 4 Fair completion with Blue Eyes
Hugh Departed from Sydney on HMAT A49 “Seang Choon" and then proceeded to Albany Western Australia prior to departure. Hugh landed on Gallipoli Peninsula on the 9th of May 1915 as reinforcement.
Hugh was knocked and KIA during a charge at Lone Pine sometime between the 7th and the 12th of August.
He was actually presumed as having deserted from the front line, however a board of enquiry held one year later in France 1916, found out that he was hit by shrapnel and lay dead on the battlefield.
Below are two missing reports on1528 Pte Hugh Coburn.
3rd battn AIF Missing
On 7th or 8th August at Lone Pine Informant was in same Platoon as Coburn and saw Coburn struck by shrapnel. He fell and died instantly. He was buried behind the trench-line. Coburn was short, round faced, stoutly built and young.
Another report
"Coburn was in the same reinforcements with witness. They knew one another well. Coburn was killed in the charge at lone pine on the 6th Aug. His body was found and buried a fortnight later by the Pioneers who went out for the purpose at night. He was an orphan".
I have since found out that no one responded to the letters that were sent to his next of kin, informing them that Hugh had been killed. The War Department tried to contact his next of kin for well over 10 years. They put articles in all of the newspapers.
The grave services unit contacted the War Department in 1921 and stated that they were unable to locate the remains of 1528 Private Hugh Coburn. Hugh plaque is at N 18 Lone Pine Cemetery.
War department records show that Hugh’s memorial Plaque or as some call it, death penny and his memorial scroll were never sent to next of kin or claimed by a relative.
This legend will not be forgotten he will now be forever embedded in my memories. When I actually meet him on the peninsula in 2015 I will let him know that he did not die for nothing and he did not die an orphan. As far as I’m concerned I now have a new brother.
Rest in peace mate your story will be told and I will see you in a couple of weeks.
PS: Just try to imagine what would happen now if an orphaned soldier was KIA on operations.
Submitted 19 March 2015 by Darren Peters
Biography
"SOLDIER'S RELATIVES SOUGHT.
The Defence department desires Mr William Coburn, formerly of Geelong, and next of kin of No. 1,528, Private H. Coburn, 3rd Battalion, to communicate with the officier in charge, Base Records, Victoria Barracks, St. Kilda road, Melbourne, as early as possible." - from the Melbourne Argus 10 Nov 1916 (nla.gov.au)
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