Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From How We Served

1208 Trooper Ernest John Hiscock Coombe of Oaklands, South Australia had been employed as a grocer at the time of his enlistment with the 1st AIF on the 20th of January 1915 and was allocated to reinforcements for the 3rd Light Horse Regiment.

Ernest was embarked for Egypt and further training on the 26th of August, and by the 27th of November he had arrived on Mudros Island. On the 26th of December, due to the evacuation of Gallipoli, Ernest was returned to Egypt and was officially taken on strength with his Regiment on the 20th of March 1916.

Within three months of joining his regiment Ernest would be present for the fighting in the vicinity against the Turkish forces at Romani, and it was during this action that he received bomb and shrapnel wounds to his hip, buttock and lower back on the 20th of June, and was sent back to Port Said, and from there to Cairo for hospitalisation. Ernest’s injuries were deemed so serious that he was repatriated back to Egypt as an invalid, departing for his return to Australia on the 17th of July.

Following his arrival back in Australia, Ernest would need further ongoing medical treatment and he was not to receive his official discharge from the 1st AIF until the 30th of May 1917. Re-entered back into civilian life, Ernest’s premature death occurred on the 13th of March 1938, aged 43, and following his passing he was formally laid to rest within West Terrace Cemetery, South Australia.

Born  7 January 1895 in Gawler, South Australia
(SA Birth Record 1842 - 1906 Book: 558 Page: 333 District: Bar.)

Father Ephriam Henry COOMBE  (b. 26/8/1858 - d. 5/4/1917) and
Mother Sarah Susannah Fraser HEYWOOD (b/ 10/12/1863 - d. ____)
Ephriam was a newspaper editor, politician and noted citizen of Gawler SA.

Siblings:
Eldest brother     Harry Heywood Coombe
                         (b. 10/10/1880 – d. 23/8/1918)
                         m. Margaret Florence McLeod on 27/12/1900.
                         Home 10 Alexander Ave, Goodwood,
                         a fitter and turner with May Bros, Gawler;
                         enlisted 1915 as private, received commission as sergeant, 1916,
                         as 2nd lieutenant with 10th Battalion in France, killed in action.

Brother              James Bright Coomb
                         (b. 1884 - d. 7/4/1951)
                         m. Alma Helene Martha Sauer (1890–1984) on 23 February 1909
                         lived at Saddlworth (then Keyneton)

Brother              Samuel Walter Coombe
                        (b. 1889 - d. ____)
                         a teacher
                         enlisted 25/8/1914, Lieutenant 10th Battalion
                         twice wounded at Gallipoli
                         wounded and suffered shell-shock in trenches France 191
                         Wife Olive Pellew Coombe, lived Renmark

Sister                 Daisy Neville Coombe
                         (b. 5/11/1890 - d. _____)
                         m.  George Arthur Ash (who also served overseas) on 1 June 1912.
                         They lived in Renmark (en.wikipedia.org), divorced in 1929.

himself               Ernest John Hiscock Coombe
                         (b. 7/1/1895 - d.   )

Sister                 Helen Nell
                         (b. 28/1/1898 - d. _____)
                         m.  Wilfrid Lord, lived at Berri SA

Next of kin in service:
Brother    Harry Heywood COOMBE
               2nd Lieutenant in 10th Battalion
               23/8/1918   killed in action

Brother    Samuel Walter COOMBE
               Lieutenant in 10th Battalion
               5/4/1918  returned to Australia

Last lived with his parents at 10 Morcombe Street, Stepney, South Australia.

Described on enlisting as 20 years 1 month old; single; 5' 8" tall; 157 lbs;
dark complexion; brown eyes; dark hair; Methodist

20/1/1915       Enlisted at Oaklands, South Australia

23/6/1915       Commanding Officer appointed Robert to 9th reinforcements,
                      8th Light Horse Regiment, Mitcham Camp

26/8/1915       Embarked from Outer Harbour, Port Adelaide on board HMAT Morea
                      as a Private in the 3rd Light Horse Regiment, 8th reinforcement

27/11/1915     reinformcenets to report to Rest Party at Mudros

1/3/1916         taken on strength into 1st Light Horse Regiment

20/3/1916       rejoined 3rd Light Horse Regiment

1/6/1916         bomb wounded to hip - admitted Romani
                      admitted to Casualty Clearing Station Hospital - Katari
2/6/1916         31st General Hospital, Port Said
                       - transfer to Cairo
3/7/1916         bomb wound to back
                       admitted to 3rd Australian General Hospital, Abbassia

17/7/1916        bomb wound buttock
                       transfer to HS Seeang Choon, Abbassia, for discharge at Suez, Egypt

27/7/1916        invalided to Australia on board Seeang Choon, ex Suez, Egypt

30/5/1917        discharged form service in AIF

Medals:
1914-15 Star (1045); British War medal (5212); Victory medal (5166)

Total service:   2 years 131 days (overseas 358 days)

7/4/1923          married Hilda Alice Bishop
                       lived at Renmark.

1938                Robert passed away
buried in:         _______

Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan.  21/3/2015.  Lest we forget.