Coombes, Rupert Napier

1301 Corporal Rupert Napier Coombes - Australian Electrical and Mechanical Mining and Boring Company

Rupert was born in 1871 in Poplar Middlesex England to John and Louisa Coombes, being one of seventeen siblings born into the family. He was educated in London and in 1881 was living at 1 Russell Street in Poplar. After leaving school he took up an apprenticeship to be an electrician.

His father died in Poplar on the 11th February 1890 and the following year in 1891 Rupert lived at Bromley All Hallows St Leonard in London.

Rupert then travelled to Australia and disembarked when his ship arrived in Fremantle. He found work in Fremantle as an electrician.

In 1894 he married Susetta Waller in Fremantle and they took up residence in Harvest Road North Fremantle.

A daughter Celia born in 1895 and a son Victor in 1899. In 1900 the family were living in Duke Street Plympton (East Fremantle). They lived here until 1904 before moving to 72 Edmund street East Fremantle. (later renumbered 14 Edmund and then renamed to Chalmers Street)

On the 31st January 1916 Rupert enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. Despite being 43 years old he was found to be fit for enlistment, with the medical officer recording Rupert's physical traits as;

Height - 5 feet 9 & 1/2 inches tall;

Weight - 133lbs;

Chest Measurement - 34-36 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Blue;

Hair - Fair.

After his successful enlistment Rupert was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was initially assigned to the Australian Engineers Depot Camp. On the 21st March 1916 hew as then transferred into the 6th Australian Tunnelling Company and trained with this group in WA for the next few months. In May 1916 Rupert was promoted to Lance Corporal.

On the 1st June 1916 Rupert and his group entrained for Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Warilda and set sail for England. They arrived at Plymouth Harbour on the 18th July 1916. Rupert and his unit were then disembarked and sent to the Tunnelling Training Camp at Perham Downs.

The Australian Tunnelling Companies now went through a restructure. There were already three Australian tunnelling companies on the western Front while three more were training in England. The 4th, 5th & 6th Companies in England were now disbanded and the men sent to the 1st, 2nd or 3rd Tunnelling Companies in France.

As Rupert was an electrician he was sent to a unit that was supporting all the Tunnelling Companies across France, not just the Australian ones. On the 28th September 1916 Rupert was taken on strength of the Australian Electrical and Mechanical Mining and Boring Company (AEMMBC). The troops nicknamed it the alphabet company.

The unit was responsible for installing and maintaining power plants, lighting, pumps, and ventilation fans across the First and Second Army areas. They also conducted deep and shallow well boring. They did this for the Australian, British, Canadian and New Zealand Tunnelling Companies.

When he joined them Rupert was only temporarily attached but this was made permanent in April 1917. Rupert would have seen much work in the tunnels around Hill 60 south of Ypres as well as the Messines tunnels prior to them being blown up for the Messines offensive in June 1917. Other areas of the battlefield Rupert would have been working was around Lens where the 3rd Australian Tunnelling Company was in action and also at Nieuport where the 2nd Australian Tunnelling Company was located.

In August 1918 Rupert was promoted to Corporal and he saw out the war with the Alphabet Company. On the 31st October 1918 Rupert was granted his first leave period, two weeks to the UK where he was when the Armistice was declared. He returned to his unit on the 14th November 1918.

Once the Germans had withdrawn to their own borders, the Australians were sent into what had been German occupied parts of Belgium and France. Rupert and his unit were then kept busy with reconnecting French and Belgian towns with electricity and general improvements.

On the 22nd February 1919 Rupert was returned to England and was sent to Sutton Veny Camp. He remained here for the next few weeks while he waited for his embarkation orders.

On the 21st March 1919 Rupert boarded the troopship Kildonan Castle and set sail for Australia, reaching Fremantle on the 5th May 1919.

Rupert was discharged from the AIF on the 30th June 1919.

He then returned home to 72 Edmund street Fremantle and resumed his work as an electrician.

Rupert died on the 7th July 1952 aged 81. He was buried at Fremantle Cemetery plot Anglican Mon A8 0386

His wife Susetta died in 1955 and joined her husband in Fremantle Cemetery.

(Photo of Rupert & Susetta courtesy of the Coombes family)