COOMBES, Reginald Sydney
| Service Number: | 3668 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 13 January 1916, Casula, New South Wales, Australia. |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | Australian Army Service Corps |
| Born: | St Austell, Cornwall, England, 1890 |
| Home Town: | Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Wheelwright |
| Died: | St. Austell, Cornwall., 25 April 1921, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Campdowns Cemetery, Charlestown Campsdown Cemetery, Charlestown, Cornwall, England Grave reference A. II. 4. Wargrave with Private Memorial. **NOTE: Date of death on Private Headstone (kerbing) is recorded as 25th April, 1921. The CWGC has date of death as 24th April, 1921*** |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 13 Jan 1916: | Enlisted Australian Army (Post WW2), 3668, Casula, New South Wales, Australia. | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Aug 1916: | Involvement Private, 3668, 30th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '16' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ballarat embarkation_ship_number: A70 public_note: '' | |
| 5 Aug 1916: | Embarked Private, 3668, 30th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ballarat, Sydney | |
| 5 Aug 1916: | Embarked 3668, 30th Infantry Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade, 8th Reinforcements. | |
| 22 Mar 1919: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, Australian Army Service Corps, 4th Mechanical Transport Company |
Help us honour Reginald Sydney Coombes's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon
Sometimes shown as COOMBE.
Births Dec 1890 Coombes Reginald Sydney St. Austell 5c 96
Married at Penwerris on 25.10.1916 Violet Henrietta Vincent, daughter of George Arrington Vincent-Blacksmith.
Marriages Dec 1916
Coombes Reginald S Vincent Falmouth 5c 297
Vincent Violet H Coombes Falmouth 5c 297
Deaths Jun 1921 Coombes Reginald S 30 St Austell 5c 110
He was 30 and the son of Mary Harvey Beswarrick (formerly Coombes) of 85 Charlestown Road, St Austell, Cornwall. Father was Charles Frederick Coombes-Mariner.
He is remembere on the Charlestown and Holmbush War Memorial and on the Australian Memorial – London.
Biography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Reginald Sydney Coombes was born at Charlestown, near St. Austell, Cornwall, England in 1890 to parents Charles Frederick Beswarrick & Mary Harvey Coombes. (Father’s name as shown on Certified Extract of the Marriage Certificate in the Service Record file for Reginald Sydney Coombes. Charles Frederick Beswarrick was listed as a Mariner).
Reginald Sydney Coombes’ mother Mary Harvey Coombes married Samuel Beswarrick in the March quarter, 1901 in the district of St. Austell, Cornwall, England.
Reg. S. Coombes, aged 21, from St. Austell, was a passenger on Ascania which had departed from the port of Southampton, England on 27th August, 1912, bound for Quebec, Montreal. Reg. S. Coombes had listed his country of intended future permanent residence as USA. Reginald S. Coombes. aged 21, was listed as a passenger on Ascania, which had arrived at the port of Quebec, Canada on 6th September, 1912. The manifest of the Ascania which arrived at the port of Quebec, Canada on 6th September, 1912 recorded Reginald S. Coombes, aged 21, Carpenter. His town of last residence was recorded as Charlestown & the name & address of the nearest relative was listed as step-father Samuel Beswarick, Charlestown, Cornwall. Reginald’s final destination was listed as Gilbert.
He enlisted in Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 31st January, 1916 as a 25 year old, single, Wheelwright from People’s Palace, Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW.
Private Reginald Sydney Coombes, Service number 3668, embarked from Sydney, NSW on HMAT Ballarat (A70) on 5th August, 1916 with the 8th Infantry Brigade, 30th Infantry Battalion, 8th Reinforcements & disembarked at Plymouth, England on 30th September, 1916.
On 25th October, 1916 Private Reginald Sydney Coombes, of Codford, Wiltshire, married Violet Henrietta Vincent, of Langton Terrace, Penwerris, Cornwall in the Parish Church of Penwerris, Cornwall, England.
Reinforcements were only given basic training in Australia. Training was completed in training units in England. Some of these were located in the Salisbury Plain & surrounding areas in the county of Wiltshire.
He was classified as Class A on 4th January, 1917 while at 8th Training Battalion, Hurcdott, Wiltshire, England. Private Coombes was marched out from 8th Training Battalion at Hurdcott on 12th January, 1917 & marched in to A.A.S.C. (Australian Army Service Corp) Training Depot, No. 4 Camp at Parkhouse, Wiltshire on 12th January, 1917.
Private Coombes proceeded overseas to France on 18th March, 1917 on Princess Henrietta to reinforce Motor Transport Section A.A.S.C. from A.A.S.C. Training Depot at Parkhouse. He disembarked at Rouen, France on 18th March, 1917 & was marched in to B.M.T.D. (Base Motor Transport Depot) at Rouen on 19th March, 1917.
On 21st March, 1917 Private Coombes was detached to 2nd A.S.C. Repair Shops at Rouen.
He was attached to 1st B. M. T. D. on 8th December, 1917.
Private Coombes was on leave to UK from 31st January, 1918 to 15th February, 1918.
On 24th February, 1918 Private Coombes was marched to A.C.T.S. Col. (Australian Corps Troops Supply Column) & taken on strength from 1st Base M.T. Depot on 25th February, 1918.
He was transferred & taken on strength of 1st Australian Divisional M. T. (Motor Transport) Company in France on 12th March, 1918.
The next-of-kin for Private Reginald Sydney Coombes was altered in March, 1918 from his mother – Mrs M. H. Beswarick to his wife – Mrs Violet H. Coombes, of 7 Langton Terrace, Falmouth, Cornwall, England.
On 24th March, 1918 Private Coombes was appointed Artificer (Wheeler).
Artificer Coombes was transferred to Australian C.T.M.T. Coy. (Corps Troops Motor Transport Company) on 26th March, 1918 & was taken on strength from 1st A.D.M.T. Coy the same day.
Violet Henrietta Coombes, wife of Artificer Reginald Sydney Coombes, died on 11th October, 1918 in Falmouth, Cornwall, England. She was buried in St. Budock Churchyard, Budock, Cornwall, England.
Artificer Reginald Sydney Coombes was on leave to UK from 19th October, 1918.
He was promoted to Temporary Corporal on 1st March, 1919 while posted with 6th M. T. Company.
On 22nd March, 1919 Temporary Corporal Coombes was promoted to Corporal.
Corporal Coombes was transferred to 4th M.T. Company on 24th May, 1919 & was taken on strength from 6th A. M.T. Coy. the same day.
He was on leave from Belgium to UK from 1st August, 1919 & rejoined from leave on 17th August, 1919.
From 2nd December, 1919 to 9th December, 1919 Corporal Coombes was granted leave. The balance of leave to make up 21 days due to members of Graves (Detachment) Service to be granted on disembarkation in Australia.
Corporal Coombes was transferred to UK from France on 30th November, 1919 for demobilization. He was eligible on 30th November, 1919 for 15 days extra disembarkation leave under Circular Memo 30.
On 2nd December, 1919 Corporal Coombes was taken on strength of Furlo Dept for Sutton Veny, Wiltshire.
He was due to report to Furlo Section at 10 am on 10th December, 1919 & was granted Troopship leave subject to recall. Corporal Coombes was to return to Australia from England on Troopship Megantic. He did not embark.
Corporal Reginald Sydney Coombes left England on Troopship Friedrichstadt on 22nd January, 1920 for the return to Australia. He disembarked at Sydney, NSW, Australia on 12th March, 1920.
On 19th May, 1920 Corporal Reginald Sydney Coombes was discharged from the Australian Imperial Force in Sydney, NSW, Australia due to termination of period of enlistment.
A handwritten note, undated, in the Service Record file for Corporal Reginald Sydney Coombes, which was located with the blank Hospital Admissions form & with page 39 of 47 reads: “Coombes. Has had attacks of tachycardia. Two attacks of pain over cardiac area. Has done 6mts training in Signalling School, Sound otherwise. ? – the first sound over the apex. An attack of rheumatic fever years ago.”
Reginald Sydney Coombes, Wheelwright, aged 29, from Australia was a passenger on the Walmer Castle which arrived at the port of Southampton, England on 23rd August, 1920. He had embarked from the port of Natal.
Ex-Corporal Reginald Sydney Coombes died on 25th April, 1921 as per date on headstone. (Note: The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has the date of death as 24th April, 1921.)
He was buried in Campsdown Cemetery, Charlestown, Cornwall, England – Plot number A.11.4 and has a Private Headstone. His death is still acknowledged by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Private R. S. Coombes is not commemorated on the Roll of Honour, located in the Hall of Memory Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia as he died after the cut-off date for the Roll of Honour – being 31st March, 1921 and was no longer a member of the Australian Armed Forces having been discharged.
He is remembered on the Charlestown and Holmbush War Memorial & also on the St. Austell War Memorial, located at Holy Trinity Church, Church Street, St. Austell, Cornwall, England.
**NOTE: Date of death on Private Headstone (kerbing) is recorded as 25th April, 1921. The CWGC has date of death as 24th April, 1921***
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/charlestown.html
Click images to start slideshow.