COGGAN, George
| Service Number: | 3509 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Gunner |
| Last Unit: | 14th Field Artillery Brigade |
| Born: | Crookwell, New South Wales, Australia, 14 March 1893 |
| Home Town: | Goulburn, Goulburn Mulwaree, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | railway fettler (track worker) |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 30 September 1917, aged 24 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient), Roslyn Woodhouselee Public School Great War Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 20 Dec 1915: | Involvement Private, 3509, 20th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Dec 1915: | Embarked Private, 3509, 20th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Aeneas, Sydney | |
| 30 Sep 1917: | Involvement Gunner, 3509, 14th Field Artillery Brigade , Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3509 awm_unit: 14 Field Artillery Brigade awm_rank: Gunner awm_died_date: 1917-09-30 |
Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
George COGGAN, (Service Number 3509), born 14 March 1893 in Crookwell NSW, began his railway career in May 1914. He worked in the Permanent Way Branch, as a fettler, in Barellan. He joined AIF on 3 August 1915, at the age of 22. He embarked at Sydney on the HMAT A60 ‘Aeneas’ on 17 December 1915. Shortly before he embarked, he sent a letter to his brother, letting him know that they would be ‘sailing on Friday’, and with his will attached – he had left everything to his mother.
George Coggan was killed in action, when a shell hit the gun emplacement in which he was working handing up ammunition. He was buried nearby.
Submitted 2 June 2023 by John Oakes
Biography contributed by John Oakes
George COGGAN, (Service Number 3509) was born on 14th March 1893 in Crookwell NSW. He began his railway career in May 1914. He worked in the Permanent Way Branch as a fettler at Barellan. He joined the AIF on 3rd August 1915 at the age of 22. He embarked at Sydney on the HMAT A60 ‘Aeneas’ on 17th December 1915. Shortly before he embarked, he sent a letter to his brother to let him know that they would be ‘sailing on Friday’. His will was attached. He had left everything to his mother.
On 14th February 1916 he was allocated to the 54th Battalion in Zeitoun. He joined the battalion two days later in Tel-el-Kebir. He was transferred to the 5th Division Artillery on 17th March 1916. On 20th June 1916 he left Alexandria (Egypt) on HMT ‘Huntsend’ to join the British Expeditionary Force He disembarked on 30th June 1916 at Marseilles (France). On 8th July 1916 he was transferred to the 25th Field Artillery Brigade in France and served as a gunner.
He was injured in the field on 16th July 1916 with a shrapnel wound in his left chest. He was sent to England for medical attention. He returned from leave on 2nd December 1916 when he marched in from Dartford. He left for France from Southampton on 15th August 1917. He returned to the field in the 55th Battery on 11th September 1917. On 30th September 1917 George Coggan was killed in action. A shell hit the gun emplacement in which he was working handing up ammunition. He was buried nearby.
His family received the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal for his service.
Since he has no known grave he is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres.
- based on notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board