Corbett, David Nelson
3500 Private David Nelson Corbett - 51st Battalion AIF
David Nelson Corbett was born in Broken Hill NSW on the 28th April 1892 to Ellen and David Corbett. David was one of five children with, Olive (1890), Sylvester (1893), John (1896) and Ellen (1897). It appears the marriage was then dissolved.
Ellen then moved with the children to Western Australia while David was still young and remarried to an Edgar Luxton. They took up residence at 45 Suffolk Street Fremantle (now 13 Suffolk). Ellen and Edgar would have four more children, Ellen (1898), Edgar (1899), Lydia (1901) and Rita (1910).
David Corbett's father died in Broken Hill in 1914.
David was educated at Christian Brothers College Fremantle and he was also a good sportsman, playing football for a few local teams including Wentworth.
After leaving school David took up employment as a shop assistant in Fremantle.
On the 27th September 1915 David enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was found to be fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 2 inches tall;
Weight - 111lbs;
Chest Measurement - 33-35 inches;
Complexion - Fair;
Eyes - Blue;
Hair - Brown.
Distinctive Marks - Tattoo of woman and rose on right arm, sailor and tombstone on left arm.
After his successful enlistment David was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was allotted to No.31 Training Depot. He was taken through the basics of infantry work at this depot and on the 12th November 1915 was assigned to the 8th Reinforcements to the 28th Battalion.
David trained with this group in WA for the next few months.
Sadly during this time his sister Olive, who had just got married in 1915 to a Robert Wright, died when she was giving birth on 1st January 1916.
On the 17th January 1916 David and his group boarded the transport ship HMAT Borda and set sail for Egypt, reaching Alexandria in February 1916.
Upon arrival David was sent into the AIF reinforcement camp. Due to the increase in size of the AIF, many new units were being formed and on the 3rd March 1916 David was sent to the 51st Battalion.
Shortly after joining the 51st Battalion David fell ill with tonsilitis but after ten days at No.2 Australian Stationary Hospital he returned to his unit. The 51st Battalion trained in Egypt for the next few months.
On the 5th June 1916 the 51st Battalion departed from Alexandria aboard the troopship Ivernia and set sail for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 12th June 1916. After being disembarked the 51st Battalion were entrained for northern France.
They were soon in the Armentieres region where they would undergo their first experience of Western Front trench life. They had a few weeks in the line near Estaires but were then transferred to the Somme battlefield. The 1st and 2nd Australian Divisions had been in action at Pozieres since July 22nd, with the 51st Battalion, as part of the 4th Division, heading into the action in August.
From the 14th to 16th August the 51st Battalion took part in an advance on German positions near Mouquet Farm. The attack did not succeed but during the advance David was hit by bullets in the thigh and arm.
He was taken by stretcher bearers to the Field Ambulance where his wounds were initially dressed and then sent along to a casualty clearing station. He was then put on an ambulance train which took him to Etaples. He was then admitted to the 3rd Canadian General Hospital. He had four days there and was then shipped to England, where upon arrival he was sent to a Military Hospital in Nottingham.
David had recovered from his wounds quickly and on the 5th September 1916 he was released from hospital and sent to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth. David would remain here for the next few months regaining his fitness.
On the 11th December 1916 David returned to France and went into the 4th Australian Division Base Depot at Etaples. He spent the next few weeks here and rejoined the 51st Battalion on the 7th January 1917. The 51st Battalion were then situated on the Somme battlefield.
On 2nd April 1917 the 51st Battalion took part in the action at Noreuil, when the French village was captured and nine days later were in support positions when the 4th Division attacked Bullecourt. The Battalion then had a few weeks rest but from June to August 1917 David and the 51st Battalion were serving in the Messines sector.
In September 1917 the unit moved to Ypres where they took part in the current offensive taking place there, seeing action at Polygon Wood, Broodseinde Ridge and Passchendaele.
David came through all these actions unscathed. On the 25th December 1917 David was granted a period of furlough to England, and returned to his unit on the 18th January 1918.
From January to March 1918, the 51st Battalion were helping to hold the front line between Messines and Ypres in Belgium. As a result of the German offensive of March 21st 1918 which broke through the British Army line further south, the Australian Divisions were sent south to the Somme to help stop this advance.
David and the 51st Battalion ended up near Bresle near Albert before coming into contact with the Germans at Dernancourt.
On April 25th 1918 the 51st Battalion took part in the counter attack that recaptured the French village of Villers-Bretonneux. Though casualties were high in the 51st Battalion David came through safely.
The battalion remained on the Villers-Bretonneux front for the next few months. On the 16th June 1918 David was evacuated ill, suffering from influenza. He was initially sent to the 14th General Hospital at Wimereux before being sent to a convalescent depot at Boulogne for a rest period. On the 12th July he was then sent to another convalescent camp at Le Havre, before his health took a turn for the worse and he was admitted to the 39th General Hospital at Le Havre. He was diagnosed with general debility and nasal stenosis.
On the 16th August 1918 David was sent to England and was admitted to the Kitchener Military Hospital in Brighton. He spent several days here recovering and on the 26th August 1918 he was transferred to No.1 Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield. He spent a few more days here, and having recovered was given a two week furlough.
On the 12th September 1918 David reported into No.1 Command Depot Camp at Sutton Veny.
David did not return to France but remained in England and was there when the Armistice was signed. On the 15th January 1919 David boarded the transport ship City of Exeter and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 20th February 1919.
David was discharged from the AIF on the 12th April 1919.
Sadly, his half-sister Rita died in Fremantle in December 1919
David then went south to Harvey to work as a labourer on the farms. By 1925 he was farming at Jitarning, which is located in the Kulin shire. He remained working here up till 1939.
Prior to World War Two David was living at 38 Nelson Street South Fremantle.
On the 26th March 1941 David enlisted for service in World War two (W26447). He served in the 5th Garrison Battalion until August 1941 when he was transferred to the 4th Field Survey Company. His service was within WA and he was discharged in 1946.
David died in Perth in 1958 aged 67. He was buried in Fremantle Cemetery plot Roman Catholic Mon CC 1161.