Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Please refer to George Coombe 3294

Benjamin George Coombe originally enlisted on the 10th September 1914 in Melbourne Victoria. On the 22nd December 1914 Ben embarked on the HMAT ulysses from Melbourne with the Australian imperial Forces disembarking in Alexandria Egypt. Ben joined the 14th Infantry Battalion at the Australian Mena Camp near Cairo in the shadow of the pyramids at Giza and was later assigned to the Light Horse Brigade and where training began in earnest. Ben later became part of the landing force at Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula on the 25th April 1915 and survived the initial onslaught on the beaches of Anzac Cove.

Benjamin George Coombe was born in Clunes Victoria in 1890. Ben originally enlisted as Benjamin Coombe and was part of the invasion force at Gallipoli. After some time in Gallipoli Ben received a severe stab wound in his arm after killing a Turkish soldier. Ben was evacuated to a military hospital in Egypt and after a period of convalescence Ben was later sent back home to Australia in a hospital ship.Anxious to return to the war effort as there was still an enemy to defeat Ben re-enlisted under the name of George Coombe. Perhaps Ben was fearful his application may be rejected by the Military Authorities as a result of the wound to his arm. Ben alias George was sent to the Western Front where after some time he was once again wounded in the arm. Ben alias George was evacuated to the Military Hospital in Weymouth in the UK. Whilst recovering from his injury in hospital Ben alias George met Elizabeth Hughes who was a nurse at the Weymouth Hospital. Ben alias George married Elizabeth Hughes in the registry office in Weymouth in 1917. Ben alias George returned to Australia in 1917 and followed later by Elizabeth. They settled in Wye River in Victoria and raised 6 children. Ben worked on the construction of the Great Ocean Road along with many other returned servicemen. Benjamin George Coombe died in 1967 in Clunes at age 77.