Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

McCOOMB George Daniel 5058 LCPL
24th Battalion
1894-1972

A century ago there were advertisements in the Violet Town Sentinel encouraging house wives to buy their meat from McCoomb’s butcher shop in Cowslip Street. This shop belonged to our soldier’s father George McCoomb.  George Daniel was listed as a ‘labourer’ on his service papers, perhaps working on the family farm, or perhaps doing some work in the butcher shop.

George was born at Euroa, educated at Balmattum State School and later joined the local Light Horse at Violet Town.  When he enlisted on 31 January 1916 at the age of 21 he was drafted into the 24th Battalion 13th reinforcements. The following July he embarked on HMAT Themistocles for Plymouth where he arrived in August. He attended training camp until he embarked for France on Princess Henrietta on 13 December, where he was taken on strength of the 24th Battalion. After a brief spell in hospital suffering from influenza he was appointed to the rank of LCPL in May 1917.

On 4 October 1917 George received a gunshot wound to the right thigh when the 24th Battalion was engaged at Broodseinde Ridge.  For this he was invalided to Harefield Hospital in England. When discharged he went on furlough returning to Depot at Sutton Veny in mid-December. A series of illnesses saw him hospitalised until March 1918. When discharged from hospital he attended a training camp at Sandhill after which he re-joined his unit in the battle at Amiens.

On 19 June 1919 George returned to Australia aboard HMAT Militiades, arriving in August.

During the war many letters printed in the Violet Town Sentinel from the boys at the front relate their moods, conditions, high spots as well as low spots; often news of their Violet Town mates which their fathers shared.  In a letter to his sister in July 1917 George describes the French countryside…’they were having lovely weather though a little hot for marching.  The people in the villages are very kind to them. He had milked two cows the night before and had a drink of milk. The cows are kept tied by a chain around the front leg and moved to a fresh patch of grass every night.’

PTE Mackay relates in a letter to his father that George McCoomb is a ‘great bomb thrower. He is getting a stripe.  The old Battalion men think him a great fighter. He and his Captain were the first men in the trenches in the charge…it is alright to hear the old men say that about them – it sounds good for Violet Town, doesn’t it Dad? I like to hear it anyway.’

After the Armistice there was understandable delay in shipping all the soldiers and nurses home. Educational courses were available to the men and George’s choice was to learn how to drive a motor.

There is also a story about the form of camouflage the troops adopted in the snow of the harsh winter of 1916/17. A local town in Albert sold white night-dresses - apparently large sizes - which were effective. It must have caused some much-needed merriment.

After the war George returned to Euroa, resumed his employment as a labourer and married Sarah Kearney in 1932.

Service medals:  British War Medal     Victory Medal

Tree No 23 was planted in 1917 by his father, Mr George McCoomb

In 2013 a Callistemon - King’s Park Special - was planted by Dawn Tonks.

© 2016 Sheila Burnell