Roslyn Christopher Coulston

Roslyn Christopher Coulston

Personal Information
Date of Birth	17 Feb 1898
Place of Birth	Chesterfield, England
Death	16 Nov 1959, aged 61
Place of Death	North Perth, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	18 years, 3 months
Description	5'6" (1.68m) tall ; 128lbs 58.06 kg ; fresh complexion ; blue eyes ; brown hair
Occupation	Clerk
Religion	Church of England
Address	Verna street, Gosnells, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father , Mr Wilmot Coulston
Military Information
Reg Number	4033
Date of Enlistment	11 Apr 1916
Rank	Sapper
Unit/Formation	32nd Battalion, 10th Reinforcement, transferred to 5th Division Signal Company
Date of Embarkation	28 Oct 1916 ‒ 28 Dec 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A16 Port Melbourne
Date of Return	4 Jan 1919 ‒ 12 Feb 1919
Ship Returned On	HMT Morvada
Fate	WIA (gassed) 15 May 1918 Returned to Australia
Monument	Gosnells Road Board Honour Roll Gosnells Primary School Honour Roll Gosnells Ward Honour Roll
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre war

Born in Derbyshire, England to Wilmot Coulston And Margaret Ann Jones. He had two sisters. The family emigrated to Western Australia in about 1910 as Roslyn moved to the Gosnells district with his family in 1911, and worked as a clerk with the Lands Department for 18 months, and with the National bank in Bolgart. (His father Wilmot purchased two blocks for a poultry farm in Verna Street from the Gosnells Estate Company, which was administered by Charles Andrews. By 1916 Wilmot Coulston was under the impression that he had discharged the mortgage, and applied for the title deeds, but was advised that the land was still subject to mortgage. Andrew’s then settled the account by crediting all the payments belatedly. The book Gosnells Story gives an account of affairs of Gosnells Estate Company scandal.)

War Service

Roslyn entered camp on 10 Mar 1916. His records for his time in Australia are missing. Roslyn embarked from Fremantle, Western Australia, on board HMAT A16 Port Melbourne on 28 Oct 1916 arriving at Devonport on 28 Dec 1916.

On arrival in Devonport, England on 28 Dec 1916 he was sent to the 8th Training Battalion (Camp 10) to prepare for trench warfare in France and Belgium. During the time he was in training he spent time in the Parkhouse Hospital, reason not recorded.

Proceeded overseas from Southampton on 30 Jul 1917, and on 18 Aug 1918 he was taken on strength by the 32nd Battalion. On 25 Mar 1918 he was detached permanently to the 5th Division Signals Company.

On 15 May 1918 he was wounded in action (gassed with mustard gas). Seen by the 14th Field Ambulance, he was sent back to the 61st Casualty Clearing Station who on 17 May 1918 placed him aboard Ambulance Train No. 32 for Etretat where he was admitted to the 1st General Hospital the next day. On 20 Jun 1918 he was released to the 1st Australian Convalescent Depot. On 14 Jul 1918 he was fit for service again and was sent to the Base Depot in Le Havre.

Roslyn was transferred to the permanent staff of the Australian General Base Depot on 6 Aug 1918, and was granted leave to England on 18 August till 1 September. On 25 Oct 1918 he transferred back to the 5th Division Signals Company before embarking for England on 3 Dec 1918. He was to spend several days in hospital in December before the decision was made to return him to Australia for medical reasons. Discharged by the 5th Military District on 30 Mar 1919 with a pension of 9/- per fortnight.

Post War

On 9 Jun 1919 Royston joined the SOJ & RS, and was discharged on 21 Jan 1920 on the demobilisation of the unit.

During 1923 Roslyn married Dorothy Beryl Barrett, a marriage that would end in divorce in 1939 when he petitioned the Supreme Court for a divorce on the grounds of desertion.

In 1925 the electoral roll lists Roslyn as being a piano expert living at 167 Adelaide terrace East Perth. In 1934 - 35 Roslyn was working in Albany and served as the treasurer for the Albany Swimming & Surf Life-Saving Club. In January 1935 he pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing £25, having received the funds but failing to properly account for them. In 1936 he was an accountant working out of 1171 Hay street, West Perth.

In January 1940 Royston had remarried but was again convicted of stealing, this time from a garage proprietor in Kalgoorlie. He was imprisoned for four months and also had to pay a fine. The electoral roll for 1949 lists him as a business proprietor at 306 Stirling street, North Perth with Ann Jane his second wife (no marriage registered), and in 1958 at 40 Burt street, North Perth

Roslyn enlisted in the Citizens Military Forces in Northam on 12 Jun 1940 with Service Number W237543. Rising to the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2, his unit at the time off his discharge on 5 Oct 1945 was the Western Command Leave & Transit Depot.

Notes

For further information on this soldier, or for more information about the history and heritage of the City of Gosnells, please contact the Heritage Coordinator on 9391 6011