COURTNEY, Robert
| Service Number: | 3721 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 20 August 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 13th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia, 1892 |
| Home Town: | North Sydney, North Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | St Leonards Superior Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Shipwright |
| Died: | Killed in action, France, 11 August 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, East Killara North Sydney Technical High School WW1 Honour Board, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 20 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3721, 13th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Dec 1915: | Involvement Private, 3721, 13th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Suevic embarkation_ship_number: A29 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Dec 1915: | Embarked Private, 3721, 13th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Suevic, Sydney |
Help us honour Robert Courtney's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Robert Courtney was one of four sons of Edward and Grace Courtney of North Sydney, New South Wales, who enlisted in the AIF during World War One.
The boys grew up in North Sydney and were capable and able sailors on the racing yachts of the day.
Robert’s younger brother, 6541 Pte. Raymond Courtney 19th Battalion AIF was later killed in action at Peronne in France on 29 August 1918, aged 22.
They were both shipwrights, having done apprenticeships in amongst the waters of Sydney Harbor and were strong swimmers.
Robert landed in Egypt during early 1916 and was killed in action with the 13th Battalion during the extremely heavy bombardments at Pozieres during August 1916. There is nothing in his service file that gives any detail on how he died. He, like thousands of others has no known grave.
Another brother, Lieutenant Frank Courtney 17th Battalion returned to Australia during March 1919.
Another brother, 58777 Private George William Courtney 34th Battalion AIF enlisted in 1918 and returned to Australia during July 1919.
Robert’s oldest brother, Ed "Tedda" Courtney was a pioneer Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He played club football mainly for Western Suburbs and representative football for the New South Wales state and Australian national sides. He is considered one of Australia’s finest rugby league footballers of the 20th century. In 2008, Courtney was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players commissioned by the NRL and is in the NRL Hall of Fame.
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