Corbitt, Samuel Thomas

5696 Private Samuel Thomas Corbitt - 16th Battalion AIF

Samuel Thomas Corbitt was born in Fremantle on the 18th August 1890 to James and Catherine Corbitt. He was one of several siblings, with, Edward (1878), Amelia (1880), Ellen (1882), Evaline (1885) and William (1888).

The family lived in Point Street Fremantle and Sam grew up in Fremantle and was educated at CBC Fremantle though sadly his father, who worked for the WA Government Workshops, died in Fremantle in 1903.

The family later moved to Guildford as Sam was working as a Striker for the WA Government Railways whose workshops had been moved to Midland from Fremantle, so it would be nearer to home for Sam.

On the 23rd February 1916 Sam enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was accepted as fit for service, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 4 inches tall;

Weight - 130lbs;

Chest Measurement - 32-24 inches;

Complexion - Farir;

Eyes - Grey,

Hair - Brown.

After his successful enlistment Sam was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.56 Training Depot. He was taken through the basics of infantry work at this camp.

On the 4th April 1916 Sam was transferred into the 18th Reinforcements to the 16th Battalion. He trained with this group in Fremantle for the next few months. Their embarkation orders finally came through and on the 18th July 1916 Sam and his group went to Fremantle Harbour and boarded the transport ship HMAT Seang Bee and set sail for England. The journey took several weeks and the ship arrived at Plymouth on the 9th September 1916.

Sam and his group were then disembarked and sent to the 4th Training Battalion at Rollestone Camp on the Salisbury Plains. He had just over a month there and on the 14th October 1916 was put in a draft of soldiers bound for France.

After arriving in Etaples he was sent to the 4th Australian Division Base Depot. Sam spent a further nine days there, before leaving on the 24th October. He took six days to locate the 16th Battalion, being taken on strength of that unit on the 30th October 1916.

The 16th Battalion would spend the 1916/17 French winter on the Somme battlefield in the vicinity of Flers. The main action in this period for the 16th Battalion was the attack and capture of Stormy Trench in February 1917. Otherwise as well as the Germans they had to also battle the freezing conditions.

Sam's health survived this period intact and he also survived without being wounded. In March 1917 the Germans began their withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line which was a well prepared defensive line. However they conducted a fighting withdrawal and there were many sharp actions against the advancing Australian and British units.

The 16^th Battalion, as part of the 4^th Brigade were tasked with breaking the Hindenburg line at Bullecourt and capturing the German positions. This assault finally went ahead on April 11^th 1917 with the assistance of tanks though with no artillery support. On the 4^th Brigade front, the 16^th & 13^th Battalions broke through the thick barbed wire and despite the heavy German fire managed to capture sections of the trenches. However due to their flanks being unsupported and the lack of supporting fire along with running out of ammunition, the survivors had a choice to remain and become prisoners of war or to make a dash back for their own lines.

The 16^th Battalion had very heavy casualties with only a handful of men making back to their own lines. At some point of the battle Sam was taken prisoner of war by the Germans. He was transported to Germany where he was imprisoned at Dulmen and Munster among other prison camps.

Sam would be a prisoner of war for the next year and a half.

When the Armistice was signed in November 1918, the prisoners of war were returned to England. Sam arrived back in England on the 3rd December 1918. He was then given a well deserved months leave and reported back in to AIF Headquarters in London in January 1918.

On the 10th January 1919 Sam went to No.2 Command Depot Camp in Weymouth and waited to be assigned a berth on a transport ship home. On the 5th March 1919 Sam boarded the troopship Nevassa in Portland and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 13th April 1919.

Sam was discharged from the AIF on the 29th May 1919.

On his return from the war, Sam resumed work with the WA Government Railways.

In 1921 in Geraldton Sam married Helen Margaret Bridget Ryan

The family then lived in Midland as Sam was working for the WA Government Railways Workshops.

Sadly, Helen Corbitt died in 1937.

In 1939 in Guildford Sam married Florence Frances Howell

Samuel Thomas Corbitt died in 1968 aged 78. He was buried in Guildford Cemetery plot Roman Catholic C 0059.