ANZAC Heroes | Great War 1914 – 1918

Bunbury – Wellington District Western Australia

COPE, Walter Vernon

Full Name: Walter Vernon

COPE

Date of Birth: 06

–

1892

Place of birth: Geraldton, WA

Australia

Occupation: Clerk

Address: Zoe Street Bunbury WA

Next of Kin: Father-Walter James Cope ( Bunbury Harbour Board )

Next of Kin Address: Zoe Street Bunbury WA

Religion: Church of England

Service Number: 1241

Rank: Private

Unit/Division: 32nd Battalion

Enlistment Date: 1915-07-24

Enlistment Location: Blackboy Hill

WA

Embarkation Port:

Embarkation Date: 1915-11-28

Embarkation Ship:

Disembarkation Port:

Disembarkation Date: 1915-12-18

Locations Served:

,

Returned: No

Discharge Date:

Cause of Death: KIA

Date of Death:

Place of Death: Fleurbaix France

Age at Death: 24

Burial Location: Memorial Inscription VC Corner Australian Cemetery & Memorial Fromelles France- Section 5

24/07/1915- Completed Medical Examination Bunbury WA
30/07/1915-To 19 Depot Company as Private Blackboy Hill, WA
16/08/1915-To 32nd Battalion “D” Company Blackboy Hill, WA
18/12/1915- To Overseas Base Depot Egypt ex Australia
17/06/1916- Embarked Alexandria, Egypt with British Expeditionary Forces bound for Marseilles, France
23/06/1916-Disembarked Marseilles France ex. Alexandria Egypt
20/07/1916-Reported MISSING IN ACTION France
20/07/1916- Reported KILLED IN ACTION Fleurbaix , Fromelles , France ( Court of Enquiry, held in the field in France on  12/08/1917 )

 

Service Medals Awarded

1914/15 Star – No. 25817

British War Medal – No. 24787

Victory Medal – No. 24620

Memorial Plaque/Scroll – No. 329634

 

Memorial Inscriptions

VC Corner Australian  Cemetery and Memorial Fromelles France – Panel No. 5

Australian War Memorial Canberra – Panel No. 120

Bunbury War Memorial Western Australia

 

Informant’s Account of Soldier’s Death

1324- MORRIS , C. –  32nd Battalion ” D ” Company advice to Red Cross London – ” I saw him shot and fall in NO MANS LAND but do not know for certain if he died. He was left lying there ( at Fleurbaix ). He was in the same platoon “.

 

PHEASANT WOOD CEMETERY FROMELLES FRANCE – MASS GRAVE VICTIMS

 

There is a very strong case for  Walter Vernon Cope’s remains being currently interred at the above New Cemetery with a headstone stating ” A Soldier of the Great War – known unto God”, because  there are still a number of the 250 Mass Grave victims remains that have been exhumed, still awaiting Positive DNA identification, prior to interment beneath a personally dedicated Headstone.

 

AUTHOR’S NOTE

The Australian War Memorial Embarkation Roll, shows Pte. COPE, embarking from Adelaide on 18 November, 1915 aboard the ” Geelong “.  There is no reference on his Service record to indicate that he had been in Adelaide, however, if that was the case, he subsequently embarked from Fremantle, WA , aboard the ” Katuna “, on 28 November, 1915.