Comben, Henry Leslie

No.77 – Private Henry Leslie Comben

Henry Leslie Comben was born in Footscray Victoria in 1892 to Bartholomew and Ellen Comben. The family moved across to Western Australian when Henry was still young and took up residence in South Fremantle. Henry attended Beaconsfield State School and after leaving school took up work as a Packer.

In 1913 Henry married Henrietta Herd in Fremantle and they took up residence at 20 Norfolk Street Fremantle. They would have two children from the marriage, Marjory and Frank.

On the 29^th December 1915 Henry went to the Swan Barracks in Perth to enlist in the AIF. He was accepted as fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as; 5 feet 5 & ¾ inches in height, weight of 121lbs, cheat measurement of 33-35 inches, fresh complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. His religious denomination was Church of England.

Henry was initially assigned to No.42 Training Depot and on the 1^st February 1916 he was transferred into “A” Company of the 44^th Battalion AIF. The 44^th Battalion trained in WA, based at Claremont Camp, until the end of May 1916 when they were told to prepare for departure. On June 6^th 1916, they boarded H.M.A.T. “Suevic” in Fremantle Harbour and left for the journey to England. Arriving at Plymouth on the 21^st July 1916, the 44^th Battalion were sent to the 3^rd Division training camps on the Salisbury Plains, where they trained until November 1916. Henry got into trouble for going absent without leave in October and as a punishment he was given 7 days of field punishment no.2 and he also had to forfeit nine days pay.

On the 25^th November 1916 the 44^th Battalion left England and arrived in France. They were initially sent to the region around Armentieres and spent the next few months in this sector. On the 20^th December Henry was sent to hospital with mumps. He had a few weeks to recover as he only rejoined the 44^th Battalion on the 12^th January 1917. The battalion moved to the Ploegsteert sector in southern Belgium in March and they conducted a few trench raids on German positions over the next two months. In June 1917 the 44^th Battalion took part in the Messines offensive and Henry was wounded by shrapnel in the back on the 10^th June 1917. He was firstly treated at the 9^th Field Ambulance and then was sent to the 2^nd ACCS. Henry was then transferred to the 55^th General Hospital at Boulogne. Fortunately the wound healed quickly and Henry rejoined the 44^th Battalion on the 26^th July 1917.

After this wound Henry led a charmed life and was not wounded again in the war. He served through the Third Battle of Ypres in October 1917, the 1917/18 winter, The German offensive actions of spring 1918, the successful battle of Hamel in July 1918 in which his brother Charlie had been killed, plus the victorious advance from August to October 1918.

After the war was over Henry was granted leave to England on the 30^th December 1918. He was supposed to report back on the 13^th January 1919 but he must have wanted a longer break as he only reported to AIF HQ in London on the 29^th January. Henry was sent back to the 44^th Battalion on the 8^th February 1919. As a result of his unofficial extended break, Henry was punished with 16 days of Field Punishment No.2 and had to forfeit 32 days pay.

On the 2^nd April 1919 Henry was sent to England to wait to be assigned a berth on a ship home. While at Codford Camp, Henry went AWOL from the 3^rd to 6^th of May. As a punishment he had to forfeit six days pay.

On the 1^st June 1919 Henry boarded the HMT Somali and set sail for Australia, disembarking in Fremantle on the 8^th July 1919. He was discharged from the AIF on the 23^rd August 1919. Henry lived at 165 Attfield Street after the war, through the family later moved to 7 Jackson Street in North Fremantle.

Unfortunately in 1939 his wife Henrietta died and in 1947 he remarried to Alice Hunter.

Henry Leslie Comben died in North Fremantle in 1961 aged 71. He was buried in Fremantle Cemetery section Anglican Mon A8 011