Copley, Allan Wallace
No.913 – Private Allan Wallace Copley – 8th Machine Gun Company AIF
Allan Wallace Copley was born in Cheltenham Victoria in 1894 to Benjamin and Rachel Copley. The family soon moved to South Australia where Allan was educated at Prince Alfred College Adelaide. The family then moved on to Western Australia and took up residence in various suburbs. Allan became a member of the 86 Infantry in Fremantle though his time in the citizen forces grew less as his work as a Stockman took him into the country areas of the State.
On the 28th July 1915 Allan enlisted into the AIF and was passed as fit. The medical examiner found him to be 5 feet 8 ½ inches tall, weight of 151 lbs; chest measurement of 36-39 inches; fresh complexion, blue eyes and light brown hair. Allan spent a few weeks in No.20 Depot Company though on the 16th August 1915 was allotted to “C” Company of the newly forming 32nd Battalion AIF. This unit was half West half South Australian so after doing initial training at Blackboy Hill Camp, the WA Companies joined their counterparts in Adelaide.
Departing Adelaide on the H.M.A.T. “Geelong”, they arrived in Egypt on the 18th December 1915. The men may have been expecting to end up at Gallipoli but as that battlefield had been evacuated they were instead used to garrison the defensive line on the Suez Canal. They would spend the next six months in Egypt undertaking this role and also training for the Western Front.
(Photo below - Allan (Standing) and a mate in Egypt)
On the 22nd January 1916, Allan was absent from a parade and therefore forfeited 1 days pay. On the 9th March 1916 Allan was transferred from the 32nd Battalion to the 8th Machine Gun Company and he would complete his training in Egypt with this new unit.
On the 16th June 1916 the 8th Company boarded the “Tunisian” in Alexandria Harbour and made their way for France, where they arrived on the 23rd June 1916. After disembarking the men were put onto trains and send north the region around Armentieres & Fleurbaix. On arrival they relieved the 4th Australian Division from the front line at Fromelles.
The 8th Machine Gun Company only had a short time here before they were involved in the assault on Fromelles on July 19th 1916. During the assault on the German trenches Allan was badly wounded by a bullet through the lung and was ultimately taken prisoner by the Germans; dying of his wounds several days later.
Private Mellow, who was on the same gun as Allan wrote the following to Allan’s family.
“On the evening of July 19th our Division attacked at Fleurbaix a few miles south of Armentieres. Our machine gun was in reserve and Allan and I were sent across, shortly after the first waves, went over the parapet, to find out certain information. We succeeded and returned to our first line. The Captain sent us straight back to the captured German first line to help work two of our guns there. We succeeded in getting through the curtain of fire again and spent the night working those guns mounted on the German parapet. Shortly after dawn Allan was hit. The bullet passed through his left hand, through his pocket book and into the left side of his chest. When I got to him he told me he thought he was going. The place was a perfect hell at the time. The Germans were counter attacking in strong force and were in our flanks. We bandaged Allan and laid him in a sheltered part of the trench after that I do not know what happened as I was hit myself.”
After the Germans regained their positions, Allan was found and still alive, was taken prisoner of war. Due to his wounds he was taken to Stappen Lazarett in Valenciennes, though he died on the 25th July. He was buried in Valenciennes Communal Cemetery IV.C.3