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Born 26 August 1867 at Hindmarsh, South Australia. Son of the late William Hurcombe, who was a brewer.

He was practically a self-educated man, attending no school in particular for any period worthy of mention, with the exception of a small quaker school at North Adelaide. Keen on a military career he enlisted with the South Australian Garrison Artillery as a gunner, and after holding the non-commissioned ranks of Bombadier, Lance-Corporal, Sergeant, and Quartermaster-Sergeant,  received his first commission as a Lieutenant in that regiment on 18 July 1894, and was promoted to the rank of Captain on 8 August 1898. 

In 1899 he joined the Imperial Bushmen's Corps, which was the first regiment raised by the British Government in Australia for service in the South African War.

He embarked as a Senior Lieutenant. Promoted to rank of Captain shortly after leaving, and received his majority before completing a year's service. 

It was in South Africa that he first met Sir William Birdwood, being attached to Birdwood's Staff as Officer Commanding Australian Details, which appointment necessitated his carrying despatches from Lord Kitchener's headquarters at Pretoria to Government House at Cape Town. 

He served in South Africa for two years and nine months, and participated in several operations in the Transvaal and Orange River Colony, including the action at Wittenbergen. 

He received the Queen's Medal with three clasps, and the King's Medal with two clasps.

During his absence in South Africa he was appointed a Captain on the Supernumerary List in the Commonwealth Forces as from 5 July 1901 and was appointed an honorary Major on 7 July 1901.  He was listed on the Reserve of Officers on 12 December 1904 and transferred to the Unattached List on 8 July 1905 and at the time of joining the AIF he was still listed on same. 

He was appointed a temporary Area Officer at Port Adelaide on 6 September 1912 and held this position at the outbreak of the Great War.

On 26 December 1885 he married Eva Victoria Alice Birkenshaw, daughter of an English Sea Captain, who navigated his own vessel and sailed to various British and Foreign ports with his wife and two daughters aboard.  It was during one of these trips made by Captain Birkenshaw that Lieutenant-Colonel Hurcombe met his future wife, they had five children (three sons and two daughters).

In private life he was a shipping agent employed by George Ferguston & Co, of Port Adelaide , and was well known throughout the Port Adelaide district. 

Due to his extensive South African War experience he was one of the first Officers selected by Lieutenant-Colonel S P Weir, and on 19 August 1914 was appointed a Major on the 10th Battalion staff at Morphettville, whilst on 2 October 1914 he was appointed 2nd in Command of the Battalion, although he had virtually held this appointment from the opening of the Morphettville training camp.

He embarked on HMAT A11 Ascanius on 20 October 1914. One week later (1 November 1914), when Colonel Weir was appointed O.C. Troops on transport, he assumed temporary Command of the 10th Battalion until same disembarked at Alexandria on 6 December 1914.

He accompanied the 10th Battalion to Lemnos as 2nd in Command and on the Saturday night preceding the historic landing had the Battalion Officers assembled on the Ionian, when he outlined to them the field-conditions they were likely to encounter on the morrow.  He instructed them to expose themselves as little as possible, and push on for the objectives, seeking cover as frequently as possible.

He landed with the Battalion from the Prince of Wales, and as Senior Field-Officer performed every task necessary to help the troops to advance.   At one time he would be carrying machine-gun belts to Lieutenant E W Talbot Smith, who had run short of ammunition, or at another he would be moving along the line advising, instructing, commending, as the circumstances warranted.

He was always a popular Officer with the men, and his outspoken candid demeanour constantly gained for him the esteem of the original Battalion as well as the respect of the reinforcements.

A few hours after landing at Anzac he had a very narrow escape from death caused by a shrapnel pellet.  Referring to this incident in a letter to his wife, dated 15 May 1915:

“I had a very narrow escape.  A bullet tore away the ribbon on the bar, went through my pocket-book, broke up my fountain pen, and remained in my pocket.  It was the hottest thing I ever saw.”

He still possessed this pocket-book and the actual pellet, which remained his most treasured Gallipoli souvenirs.  Shortly after this miraculous escape he left Signalling Officer Captain S R Hall to proceed to the right flank, and returning within ten minutes was advised of the death of Captain Hall, who during his absence had been instantaneously killed by a shell.

On 2 July 1915 he was invalided from the Peninsula, and proceeded to hospital at Heliopolis, Egypt, later to Helouan, near Cairo, and subsequently to the 3rd London General Hospital at Wandsworth.

For his splendid work on the Gallipoli Peninsula, he was mentioned in Army Corps Routine Orders, and for his conspicuous work was further Mentioned In Despatches (MID), vide London Gazette, 5 November 1915.

He returned to Egypt on 15 December 1915 and was posted to a training battalion at Heliopolis, Cairo, being specially selected to reorganise and train a brigade of reinforcements.

On 1 March 1916 he was appointed Commanding Officer of the 50th Battalion and in this capacity on 12 March 1916 proceeded to Tel-El-Kebir, where he raised his new battalion, partly from a quota of 10th Battalion Officers and men who had been specially transferred for the purpose, and partly from AIF reinforcements then in training in Egypt.

Early in June 1916, he proceeded with the 50th Battalion to France on the Arcadian, and led his unit in the attacks on Pozieres and Mouquet Farm.  

He sustained shell-shock at Pozieres and was invalided to England about 15 August 1916 and was admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital at Wandsworth, and subsequently to “The Boltons”, a convalescent depot near Hyde Park, London. 

Shortly before leaving England for Australia he received the following letter from General Sir William Birdwood:

“My dear Hurcombe – I am so sorry not to have seen you before you left here, as I should have so much wished to have done so, to say good-bye, and to thank you for all the work which you have put in for us with the AIF for close on the last two years.  I so well realise what a very great strain this has necessarily been on you, more especially in the responsible and very difficult position of a Commanding Officer, which I always think myself is perhaps one of the most difficult and trying in the whole of our service.  That you have stood this as you have done for all these months is, I think, highly creditable, and I feel I cannot let you leave us without expressing to you my gratitude and thanks.  I am convinced that you must yourself realise how very advisable it is that you should go home for a thorough rest, and let others who have not been so long in the field come forward and take their turn.  With my heartiest wishes to you on your return to Australia, and again, my most grateful thanks.  Yours sincerely, (signed)  W R Birdwood.”

He spent two months in England before embarking for South Australia, arriving back in Adelaide about 20 November 1916, his services with the AIF terminating on 23 January 1917.

After a short period of convalescence he considered himself again fit to assist the Empire, and before the Armistice occurred in 1918 he made three separate trips to England as OC of AIF troops on transports conveying details and reinforcements.   His first trip on transport duty was completed on 3 July 1917 and his third and final on 24 May 1918.   Two of these trips were made via the Suez Canal and one via the Cape.  He was subsequently placed on the Reserve of Officers with rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, and on 16 August 1927 was transferred to the Retired List.

In 1920 his wife died, and since then he had retired from business pursuits.

In 1935 was residing at Fricourt, No 75 Third Avenue, East Adelaide.

He was a recipient of the Volunteer Decoration.

From the first day of the Morphettville Camp he was admired for his straight talks to the men.  He was never guilty of ‘beating around the corner’ and was always admire by rank and file for calling ‘an ace an ace’ or a ‘spade a spade’.  By many of the younger volunteer recruits he was looked upon as a counsellor, and was invariably sought after for his fatherly advice, and for this reason was affectionately known as “Dad Hurcombe”.

On 8 April 1935 in referring to the 10th Battalion he stated: 

“Never a corps existed that equalled them for enthusiasm, and in spite of a little gaiety or spirit they were very attentive to their duties, which were always well carried out.”

His son, Roy Kintore Hurcombe, was also an original member of the Battalion; enlisting as a Private and attaining the rank of temporary Major.

Extract from “The Fighting 10th”, Adelaide, Webb & Son, 1936 by C.B.L. Lock; kindly supplied courtesy of the 10th Bn AIF Association Committee, April 2015.