Cumming, Wallace Roy

No.1953B – Private Wallace Roy Cumming – 4^th Pioneer Battalion AIF

Wallace Roy Cumming was born in Fremantle WA in 1889 to Duncan and Margaret Cumming. The family lived in William Street Fremantle before later moving to Tuckfield Street Fremantle. Wallace was educated at Fremantle Boys School. After leaving school he took up work with the postal department. During this time he also a member of the Fremantle Company of the Western Australian Infantry Regiment and then D Company of the 11^th Australian Infantry Regiment.

On the 6^th March 1915 Wallace Roy Cumming went to the Perth recruitment office to offer his services to the AIF. He was accepted as fit with the Medical examiner finding him to be 5 feet 10 inches tall; weight of 160 lbs; chest measurement of 35-37 inches; dark complexion; brown eyes and black hair. His religious denomination was Congregational. Initially allotted to No.11 Depot Company, on the 1^st April 1915 he was assigned to the 5^th Reinforcements to the 12^th Battalion AIF. This group trained in WA until the 26^th April 1915 when they embarked on the H.M.A.T. “Hororata” in Fremantle.

After reaching Egypt in the latter half of May 1915, the men were disembarked but did not stay long here as they were sent straight on to Gallipoli. Roy was taken on strength of the 12^th Battalion at Gallipoli on the 16^th June 1915. He served with the 12^th Battalion through the rest of the campaign, seeing action at Tasmania Post and the Battle of Lone Pine in August 1915. He evacuated with them at the end of the campaign back to Lemnos Island and on 6th January 1916 arrived back in Egypt. Through January and February Wallace continued to served with the 12^th in Egypt, though on the 1^st March 1916 the 12^th Battalion was split in half, with one half staying and the other going on to form the new 52^nd Battalion. Wallace was assigned to form part of the new 52^nd Battalion. His period at the 52^nd only last two weeks as on the 15^th March 1916 Wallace decided to transfer to the 4^th Pioneer Battalion.

Wallace trained with the 4^th Pioneer Battalion in Egypt till the end of May 1916 as on the 4^th June 1916, they boarded their transport ship in Alexandria and sailed for France. Arriving at Marseilles on the 11^th June 1916, Wallace and his unit were put onto trains and were sent north to the region of Fleurbaix, south of Armentieres. They stayed here till July 1916, when they were sent south to the Somme. Wallace was involved in the actions at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm in August 1916 where they attempted to keep open the communication trenches amidst the heavy shellfire. He survived the Somme battles unscathed and saw out the rest of 1916. The 4^th Pioneer Battalion spent the 1916/17 French Winter in the vicinity of Flers in horrendous muddy conditions which made their tasks or road and trench building a very difficult task.

The 4^th Pioneers subsequently saw much work in the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line during February/March 1917 and also during April when the infantry attacked Bullecourt. In May the 4^th Division changed sectors and came up to Messines in Belgium. They took part in the advance at Messines and continued to hold the line. The 4^th Pioneer Battalion supported the infantry in this period by road making and improving the trenches and dugouts.

On the 23^rd June 1917, while on a fatigue party carrying duckboards up to the line, Wally was badly hit by shrapnel from a shell that exploded close by, wounding him in the buttock, abdomen and hand. He was taken back to the 9^th Field Ambulance and then sent further on to the 2^nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station and was then sent further on to the 11^th Casualty Clearing Station.

Unfortunately Wallace Roy Cumming died of his wounds on the 30^th June 1917 and he was buried at Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension in plot III.D.139.