Walter Eugene Cockram

| data22 = Kelmscott
Gosnells Honour Roll

| label23 = Medals | data23 = British War Medal
Victory Medal

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Pre War

In 1883 his father applied for the first public house licence for the Cannington area, before purchasing 1250 acres at Roleystone.

Walter married Clara Emily Elliot on 7 Mar 1906. Clara died in Cannington on 3 Dec 1906. Electoral Roll entries - 1906 - 1910 farmer in Albany road, Cannington;

War Service

Six weeks after entering the Blackboy Hill camp Walter was allocated to the 4th reinforcement draft for the 44th Battalion, which enjoyed a longer than usual training period in Australia before travelling to England.

After spending Christmas 1916 and Jan 1917 with the 11th Training Battalion near Lark Hill in England, Walter travelled to France from Folkestone aboard the HMT Invicta where he joined the 44th in the vicinity of Armentiès on 8 Feb 1917. The battalion had just come out of the line for a period of rest and to provide working parties.

Unusually, he then returned to England for some leave, and rejoined the 44th Battalion on 8 Mar 1918 in their rest area at Nieppe near Armentiès. He was with the battalion during their efforts to stop the German advance and then their pursuit up the Somme River valley.

The shelling, which affected Walter included Blue Cross Gas Shells, and occurred during the evening of 7th/8th Sep 1918 as his battalion was being replaced in the vanguard of the attacking force that had been clearing country between Péronne and the Hindenburg Outpost Line.

Walter received what was most likely a shell wound to his finger as well as suffering from being exposed to the gas shells. He spent 3 weeks in hospital in France recovering, by which time Australian troops were being withdrawn from the fighting for the last time.

Discharged 5th Military District on 16 Aug 1919

Post War

WE Cockram of the 44th Battalion arriving on board the S.S. Somali

On his return from England he married again, this time to Sarah Brankin in 1920. Electoral Roll entries - 1916 - 1943 Mills road, Gosnells, dairyman.