Pte
William Cobban
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1883 |
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Place of birth: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
General information
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Last known residence: South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
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Profession: Solderer |
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Religion: Church of England |
Army information
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Country: Australia |
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Force: Australian Imperial Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 4690 |
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Enlistment date: 24/02/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
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Units: — Australian Infantry, 22nd Bn. (Victoria) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 04/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Zonnebeke Château Grounds, Zonnebeke, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 34 |
Cemetery
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Perth Cemetery (China Wall) Plot: IV Row: H Grave: 5 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
William Cobban, a former labourer in a jam factory, was born in January 1883 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He was the son of George and Emma Cobban; the brother of Private Bert Cobban (killed in action at Pozieres on July 27, 1916) and the husband of Alice Elizabeth Cobban. On February 24, 1916, he enlisted in Melbourne and embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT A14 Euripides on April 4, 1916, with the 12th reinforcement of the 22nd Battalion, part of the 6th Australian Brigade of the 2nd Australian Division.
On the 4th of October 1917 the 2nd Australian Division participated in the Battle of Broodseinde, a phase in the Third Battle of Ypres. The 22nd Battalion was part of the 6th Brigade, which attacked on the right of the divisional front. The 22nd Battalion would take the first objective, the red line.
Once they had taken this line, the 24th would pass through the 22nd on the right and the 21st would do the same on the left. The Battalion assembled before the attack at the jumping-off positions in front of Tokio, but soon moved closer to the road leading to Tokio on account of German artillery fire on and around Albania. They made use of shell holes and old trench systems to form a line.
At 5.35 a.m. moments before the Battalion would attack, the German artillery, including minenwerfers, started shelling the jump-off line, causing heavy casualties. The Germans were about to attack themselves in the hope of recapturing Zonnebeke. The heavy shell fire was very destructive.
At 6 a.m. the British and Australian artillery opened fire on the German positions and the troops started to advance. The 22nd led off, followed by the 21st and 24th. Zonnebeke Lake was on the jumping-off line on the left. The three battalions had to storm the front over 3oo yards right of the lake. Once they had passed the lake the units on the left had to change direction to cover the ground allotted to them.
The German infantry was utterly surprised by the allied barrage. They were quickly dispersed, killed or taken prisoner by the advancing Australians. Docile Trench and De Knoet Farm fell without much opposition and the 22nd Battalion reached their objective by 6.50 a.m. On the right flank of the 24th Battalion the troops met resistance in Romulus Wood, but the Germans were eventually overpowered. At 7.30 a.m. the 21st and 24th moved up behind the protective barrage, reaching the second objective, the blue line at 8.10 a.m., where the dug in and prepared for eventual counterattacks.
William, aged 34, was killed in action on October 4, 1917, after he was first reported as wounded and missing. Together with 4 others, he was killed when they were hit by a shell, during the German fire shortly before the barrage planned at 6.00 a.m. Private Cobban was found after the war where he fell and was buried near Zonnebeke Lake (28.D.28.a.50.40); his remains were exhumed and reinterred at Perth China Wall Cemetery, Plot 4, Row H, Grave 5.
On the 4th of October 1917 the 2nd Australian Division participated in the Battle of Broodseinde, a phase in the Third Battle of Ypres. The 22nd Battalion was part of the 6th Brigade, which attacked on the right of the divisional front. The 22nd Battalion would take the first objective, the red line.
Once they had taken this line, the 24th would pass through the 22nd on the right and the 21st would do the same on the left. The Battalion assembled before the attack at the jumping-off positions in front of Tokio, but soon moved closer to the road leading to Tokio on account of German artillery fire on and around Albania. They made use of shell holes and old trench systems to form a line.
At 5.35 a.m. moments before the Battalion would attack, the German artillery, including minenwerfers, started shelling the jump-off line, causing heavy casualties. The Germans were about to attack themselves in the hope of recapturing Zonnebeke. The heavy shell fire was very destructive.
At 6 a.m. the British and Australian artillery opened fire on the German positions and the troops started to advance. The 22nd led off, followed by the 21st and 24th. Zonnebeke Lake was on the jumping-off line on the left. The three battalions had to storm the front over 3oo yards right of the lake. Once they had passed the lake the units on the left had to change direction to cover the ground allotted to them.
The German infantry was utterly surprised by the allied barrage. They were quickly dispersed, killed or taken prisoner by the advancing Australians. Docile Trench and De Knoet Farm fell without much opposition and the 22nd Battalion reached their objective by 6.50 a.m. On the right flank of the 24th Battalion the troops met resistance in Romulus Wood, but the Germans were eventually overpowered. At 7.30 a.m. the 21st and 24th moved up behind the protective barrage, reaching the second objective, the blue line at 8.10 a.m., where the dug in and prepared for eventual counterattacks.
William, aged 34, was killed in action on October 4, 1917, after he was first reported as wounded and missing. Together with 4 others, he was killed when they were hit by a shell, during the German fire shortly before the barrage planned at 6.00 a.m. Private Cobban was found after the war where he fell and was buried near Zonnebeke Lake (28.D.28.a.50.40); his remains were exhumed and reinterred at Perth China Wall Cemetery, Plot 4, Row H, Grave 5.
Connection to other soldiers 1
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Bert Cobban
Brother |
Sources 5
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22nd Battalion Australian Infantry (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/39/26). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
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6th Brigade Australian Infantry (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/6/26). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
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Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), RCDIG1064166). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
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First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455). https://www.naa.gov.au/ Sources used |
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Unit embarkation nominal rolls, 1914-18 War (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM8). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
More information 4
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/103156 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7391760 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=ada4b6c8-f17e-4074-a979-7fc0f07f52d9 |
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The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=56384 |