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Henry Thomas Cockram

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Henry Thomas Cockram
Cockram Henry.jpg
Ancestry
Personal Information
Date of Birth 16 Apr 1891
Place of Birth Cannington, Western Australia
Death 30 Dec 1956
Place of Death Victoria Park, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment 25 years, 2 months
Description 5'2½" (1.59m) tall ; 118 lbs
53.524 kg
; dark complexion ; brown eyes ; brown hair
Occupation Orcharist
Religion Church Of England
Address Albany road, Kelmscott, Western Australia
Next of Kin Mother , Mrs Betsy Cockram
Military Information
Reg Number 3030
Date of Enlistment 24 Jun 1915
Rank Private
Unit/Formation 11th Battalion, 10th Reinforcement to D Company, transferred to 51st Battalion / 13th Brigade, 4th Division
Date of Embarkation 13 Oct 1915 ‒ unknown
"unknown" contains an extrinsic dash or other characters that are invalid for a date interpretation.
Ship Embarked On HMAT A32 Themistocles Fremantle to Port Suez
Date of Return 13 Feb 1917 ‒ 12 Apr 1917
Ship Returned On HMAT A38 Ulysses Plymouth to Fremantle
Fate Wounded in Action 14/16 Aug 1916, Mouquet Farm
Returned to Australia
Monument Kelmscott War Memorial (West panel)
Medals 1914-15 Star
British War Medal
Victory Medal



Pre War

An earlier attempt by Henry to enlist was rejected due to his not meeting the height standard.

War Service

Henry entered Blackboy Hill camp on 24 Jun 1915, and was sent to the 15th Depot Company to begin his training. A week later on 1 Jul 1915 he was allocated to the 11th Battalion's, 10th reinforcement draft with whom he completed his Australian basic training and then travelled with them to Egypt..

On arrival in Egypt he continued his training for another 7 - 8 weeks before he was allocated to D Company of the 11th Battalion, joining them on 7 Jan 1916 at Tel-el-Kebir. However, he was to be caught up in the doubling in size of the AIF and its subsequent reorganisation prior to becoming involved in fighting on the Western Front.

On 1 Mar 1916, in Serapeum as part of this restructuring and expansion of the Australian forces he became one of the first members of the new 51st Battalion, with whom he travelled to France from Alexandria on 5 Jun 1916 aboard the HMT Ivernia, arriving in Marseilles at 7:00am on 11 Jun 1916. The battalion disembarked the following day following the unloading of stores, and entrained for Abbeville.

The date of his injury is not specified other than that he had received a GSW to his left thigh, left leg and head during the 51st Battalion's attack on Mouquet Farm and the subsequent shelling and counter attack by the Germans during 14/16 Aug 1916. 302 casualties were sustained by the 16th Battalion during their two day stint in the front line. Few details of his treatment are included in his records, other than that by 17 Aug 1916 he was in the 23rd General Hospital at Étaples and that on 30 Aug 1916 he was placed aboard the HS Stad Antwerpen in Calais for the trip to England where he was then admitted to the 4th Northern General Hospital in Lincoln.

He remained with them until he was transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital on 9 Nov 1916. On 28 Nov 1916 he was discharged to No 2 Command Depot in Weymouth where he was processed for early return to Australia.

Discharged by the 5th Military District on 30 Jun 1917.

240th Casualty List...previously reported severely wounded; H.T. Cockram (Kelmscott) progressing favourably.[1]..arrives home aboard a Hospital Ship.

Post War

Stood unsuccessfully for election to Jandakot Roads Board East Ward (Forrestdale, Westfield).[2]

In 1916 and 1925 to 1943 Electoral Rolls he is an orchardist in Kelmscott.

Served in World War 2 with Regimental Number W32235


References

  1. "WESTERN AUSTRALIA.". The West Australian. XXXII, (4,555). Western Australia. 6 November 1916. p. 7. Retrieved 30 May 2017 – via National Library of Australia. 
  2. "THE ROADS BOARDS.". The West Australian. XXXIV, (4,998). Western Australia. 12 April 1918. p. 8. Retrieved 30 May 2017 – via National Library of Australia. 

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