Lance Corporal William Edward Coombes DCM (8912)

2nd Bn, The Worcestershire Regiment, 100th Brigade, 33rd Division, B.E.F.

Malvern Commemoration: Holy Trinity North Malvern,

Burial/Commemoration: Harlebeke New British Cemetery

Nature of Death: Killed in action Neuve Eglise, Flanders 11/4/1918

Age: 33

Next of Kin: Son of James Coombes of Myrtle Cottage, Belvoir Bank; husband of Frances Ellen Coombes of Geneva Terrace, West Malvern

Previous Employment: Regular Army Reservist

William Edward Coombes

Early Years

William Coombes was born at Malvern in 1885, the son of James Coombes, a sawyer and his wife Eliza.  The couple had met in James’s home village of Buckland in Berkshire, where William’s eldest sister, Anna had been born.  However by 1876 the family had moved back to Malvern where Eliza was from.  In 1891 the family of eight was living at 8 Rock Cottages, St Anns Road, Great Malvern. 

Ten years later, in March 1901, the fifteen year old William was working as a groom at Hove in Sussex.  He was lodging with two other grooms at 2 Norton Mews on Norton Road in the the town.  It was perhaps the Boer War that inspired him to join the army.

Regular Army Service

William joined the Worcestershire Regiment as a regular soldier on 15th November 1904 at the age of 19 years and 2 months.  He had previously been employed as a groom.  On enlistment he gave his next of kin as his father James and brother John, both of Aliwal Cottage, Cowleigh Road and his sister Elizabeth Coombes of Rock Terrace, North Malvern.

After initial training at the Depot at Norton Barracks in Worcester, Pte Coombes was posted to the 1st Battalion, then serving in Dublin.  It appears that he continued to look after horses.  In April 1906, while the battalion were at Templemore, Ireland, William was kicked in the knee by  Major Street’s horse, who he was groom to.  His knee was fractured and he spent some time in hospital. 

1st Worcestershire Regiment on parade in Dublin in 1907

1st Worcestershire Regiment on parade in Dublin in 1907

William had a mixed career, being first awarded and then forfeiting Good Conduct Badges and was posted to the 2nd Battalion in India in January 1908. 

In India Williams was confined to barracks in August 1913 for drunkenness, but nonetheless received his £9 gratuity at the end of his service and was posted to the Army Reserve in November 1913.   He served in the regular army before the war, and was recalled from the Army Reserve at the outbreak of war.

First World War

As an army reservist, Coombes was mobilised at the outbreak of the war and after a few weeks refamiliarization with military fitness, was posted to the 2nd Battalion on 30th August 1914.  Hr joined the battalion after the retreat from Mons and fought with them through the Battles of the Aisne and Marne in autumn 1914 and around Ypres over winter 1914, including the Battle of Gheluvelt where the battalion were instrumental in preventing a German breakthrough which would have threatened the viability of the Ypres Salient and the British Expeditionary Force as a whole.

On 16th February 1915 he was appointed an unpaid Lance Corporal and, the pay followed this appointment on 16th May.  In July 1915 Coombes was once again up before his superiors for drunkenness.  He was initially sentenced to one year’s imprisonment with hard labour, but this sentence was reduced to Field Punishment No 2 for two months.  

Battle of Loos

In early September, William was once again appointed a lance corporal.  In this appointment he faced the Battle of Loos along with his battalion; this new offensive held high hopes.  The attack was to be preceded by a large gas cloud and the men of the battalion spend much time assisting the Royal Engineers in siting the necessary gas cylinders. 

On the morning of the 25th September the 2nd Worcestershire Regiment were in a reserve position, ready to exploit any breakthrough.  News filtered back that the gas had not been carried towards German lines, but had instead hung around the British parapet, causing many casualties.  No ground had been gained and in the afternoon. 

The 2nd Worcesters deployed on the evening of 26th September, their objective to retake quarries that had traded hands several times between British and German forces.  Hours of bitter and costly fighting ensured.  The men of the Worcestershire Regiment entrenched on one side of the Quarries, during the afternoon a strong and determined party of German bombing teams worked their way along communication trenches.  Company Sergeant Major Welch made a bold reconnaissance, mounted a machine-gun in a position to enfilade the trench and shot down most of the bombers.  William Coombes was involved in this action too, and was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.  His citation, published in November 1915, read:

“For conspicuous gallantry… near Vermelles, when by his courage and example he rendered effective assistance in repulsing a determined bomb attack by the enemy, and was generally influential in maintaining confidence in the men at a critical time, when the attack seemed likely to succeed”

The battalion were finally relieved on the night of 29th/30th September, having suffered at last 100 fatal casualties and many more wounded.

The Distinguished Conduct Medal, here illustrated on a John Player's cigarette card.

The Distinguished Conduct Medal, here illustrated on a John Player’s cigarette card.

William enjoyed a week’s leave to England in November 1915 and another in February 1916.

1916

With the coming of summer 1916, came preparations for the great offensive on the Somme.  However, William was to avoid these battles, receiving wounds in the back from an exploding shell at Cuinchy on 25th June 1916.  He was evacuated through the medical chain, through 19 Field Ambulance, to 33 Casualty Clearing Station and then via Ambulance Train to No 4 General Hospital at Camiers.  He reached this hospital on 1st July 1916, and probably owing to the anticipated influx of casualties was transported back to UK via Dieppe a week later. He spent 18 days at the East Leeds War Hospital, Harehills Road, Leeds.  

East Leeds War Hospital, Harehills Road, Leeds

East Leeds War Hospital, Harehills Road, Leeds

After convalescence, William was posted to the 5th (Militia) Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment at Fort Tregantle in Cornwall to continue to build is fitness.  He undertook several training courses and was appointed a Lance Sergeant in May 1917.  

Marriage

It was during this time at Fort Tregantle that William married Frances Ellen Hammond of West Malvern.  They were married at St James’ Church on 14th April 1917.  They had some time together before William was sent back to France on 8th February 1918.  

Battle of Neuve Eglise

William was posted back to his old battalion, the 2nd, and joined them on 20th February 1918, shortly before the opening of the German Spring Offensive of 1918.  In April 1918, the second phase of this offensive began and German forces attacking on the Lys.  Dawn of April 12th was ushered in by gun-fire from every side as the German Sixth Army advanced with determination and in great strength up the valley of the Lys direct for Hazebrouck: the German Fourth Army attacked to gain the range of heights which rise behind Bailleul. 

The 2nd Worcestershire Regiment held high ground at Neuve Eglise from where they could see the enemy advancing over the southern shoulder of the Messines Ridge, other forces coming on past Ploegsteert Wood in irregular formation, working forward along the folds of the ground and up the hedges and ditches.  As the Regimental History commented “The whole countryside seemed full of the moving enemy.”

Fighting patrols were sent out which delayed the advancing forces a little, but the next few days saw bitter, hand-to-hand fighting in and around the village.  The stubborn and brave defence of Neuve Eglise resulted in the award of the Victoria Cross to Captain James J Crowe of the battalion for valour on 14th April.  The Battalion was finally relieved on the following day, with Neuve Eglise still in British hands.

Casualties were heavy.  The Battalion had been reduced to five officers and about a hundred men.  William Coombes was posted wounded and subsequently missing, presumed killed in action between 11th and 17th April 1918.

No news

Such was the disorganisation that the offensive caused in the British forces, it was 10 weeks before Coombe’s widow heard anything of her husband – and then it was only that he was wounded and missing.

Not until January 1919, nearly a year later, did the Malvern News report:

“Mrs Coombs, of Geneva Terrace, West Malvern has been officially notified that her husband, Sgt William Edward Coombs DCM Worcestershire Regiment, previously reported missing is now presumed to have been killed. A comrade states he was killed by a machine gun, he received severe wounds particularly in the head and abdomen and died about fifteen minutes later.”

A list of British War dead compiled by German forces was received in February 1919, which confirmed William Coombe’s death in action on 11th April 1918.

Tragically, William’s son William Alfred Kenneth Coombes was born on 17th April 1918 – never to know his father.   Frances Coombes re-married in 1919, a widower William George from West Malvern.

Commemoration

William Coombes grave at Harlebeke New British Cemetery in 2019.

William Coombes grave at Harlebeke New British Cemetery in 2019.

William’s body was recovered after the fighting and today lies buried at Harlebeke New British Cemetery.

 

British Army Service Records
Malvern News 29/6/1918, 18/1/1919
"The Worcestershire Regiment in the Great War" by Capt H Fitzmaurice Stacke.

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