Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Joined the Battalion as a Cadet Officer form the Officers Training College, Oxford in February 1917. He did good work in the trenches near Le Bizet and Ploegsteert Wood, and took part in the famous daylight raid before Messines.

For two or three days before the opening of the great battle of Messines practice barrages were put down under cover of which daylight raiders issued from our front lines and put it across “Fritz”. The idea was to secure identification, discover if the Boche were changing his order of battle and to destroy the morale of his front line troops. Going over in daylight even under a barrage was no child’s play but required great nerve.

Unfortunately his raiding party lost the barrage, and the enemy machine guns coming into action at barely 200 yards, played great havoc with our men. Poor Coleman was riddled with bullets. At nightfall his body was brought in and buried at Ploegsteert Wood. He was always a cheery soul and a most efficient officer. Although only with the Battalion a short period he was a great favourite and had the respect and esteem of all.


From P34 - Preparations for Messines:
On the 4th Lieutenant Coleman and thirty other ranks attempted a daylight raid into the enemy line at Broken Tree House, but as only a few hours notice had been given previous reconnaissance and preparation were impossible. The party was conveyed by lorry to Ploegsteert Wood then filed along CTs to the front line, from which they commenced at 2pm to move across No Man’s Land. Heavy rifle and machine gun fire was directed against them on leaving the parapet, and after proceeding one hundred yards they suffered casualties and were definitely checked. The process of returning the wounded proved most difficult as enemy fire covered any attempted movement, necessitating some remaining in shell-holes until nightfall. The officer and one sergeant were killed and eleven other ranks wounded.

KIA 4/6/17

Buried Strand Military Cemetery, Ploegsteert Wood

From “The Forty-Third” The Story and Official History of the 43rd Battalion A.I.F. by Capt. E J Colliver MC & Lieut. B H Richardson Rigby Limited 1920. Pages 34, 211,235,238