Comery, Owen Rueben

No.3070 – Private Owen Rueben Comery – 2^nd Pioneer Battalion AIF

Owen Rueben Comery was born in Perth WA in 1887 to Ruben and Mary Comery. He was one of ten children and the family soon moved to Fremantle where they took up residence at Moore’s Cottages in Pakenham Street. Owen was educated locally at Fremantle State School. After leaving school he found work as a labourer.

In 1912 he married Elizabeth Jones and they would soon move to Bellevue Terrace in South Fremantle. Their son Charles Rueben Comery was born in 1914.

On the 4^th September 1915 Owen went to the Perth recruitment office and offered his services to the AIF. He was accepted as fit with the medical examiner finding his details as 5 feet 4 inches tall; weight of 128 lbs; chest measurement of 33-35 inches; fresh complexion; brown eyes and dark brown hair. His religious denomination was Roman Catholic.

Initially allotted to No.3 Depot, on the 1^st November 1915 Owen was assigned to the 7^th Reinforcements to the 28^th Battalion AIF. This group trained in WA for over two months when on the 18^th January 1916 they embarked from Fremantle aboard the H.M.A.T. “Medic”. After arriving in Egypt he was taken on strength of the 28^th Battalion though his stay with this unit would be short for on the 12^th March 1916 Owen transferred to the 2^nd Pioneer Battalion. On the 19^th March 1916 Owen embarked with his new unit from Alexandria and sailed for France, reaching Marseilles on the 26^th March 1916.

After their arrival, the 2^nd Division AIF were sent north to the region around Armentieres. Owen with his 2^nd Pioneer Battalion would spend around four months in this region where they gained experience of trench life. In July 1916 they headed south for the Somme Battlefield, where the British and French had been fighting the Germans in a large attack from July 1^st. Only small gains were made and the Australians were brought in to capture the vital village of Pozieres. The 1^st Division successfully captured the village and after a week in the line they were relieved by the 2^nd Division.

The 2^nd Division advanced the line further though they underwent one of the largest German barrages of the war. As a result casualties were immense for the Division.

Owen and his 2^nd Pioneers faced a constant battle to keep open the trenches as soon as they had built a trench the German bombardments levelled them again. On the 1^st August 1916 while keeping a vital communication trench open, the 2^nd Pioneers sustained heavy casualties and many including Owen was killed by shellfire. It was later said that along the length of this trench were dead soldiers from the 2^nd Pioneers, who had died keeping the trench open. Due to the nature of the battle and the high amount of shellfire, Owens remains could not be located and he is therefore commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.

Elizabeth, by now living in Holland St East Fremantle would receive his effects and medals over the coming years. She never remarried and died in Attadale on the 9^th April 1976 aged 91.

Their son Charles went on to serve in World War Two as a Corporal with No.102 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force. He died on the 20^th February 1981 aged 66.