VINNICOMBE John

John Vinnicombe was born at Carrara around 1893. His parents were Thomas (died in 1907) and Elizabeth Anne Vinnicombe (nee Tucker) of Rose Hill Nambour. John was a farmer when he enlisted. His parents had had a farm in the Logan area ( Nambour Chronicle Friday October 5, 1906) auctioned it off and came to live on their cane farm in Nambour. Elizabeth was the daughter of well known Bli Bli farmer Mr J. Tucker.
John enlisted on 20 August 1915 and sailed from Brisbane on HMAT A73 Commonwealth with the 9th Battalion, 15th Reinforcement. He as 5" 9 ins tall 140 lbs with a fair complexion, hazel eyes and fair hair. After arrival in U.K. he was on DC troop S. Arcadian and went to Egypt. He left Egypt and went to U.K. 9/8/16 and left for France 23/9/16. He was taken on strength to France 5/10/16. He was Killed in Action in France 7/5/17.

Mrs Vinnicombe wrote for news of her son's death and asked for his personal things. HIs sister Miss A.M.Vinnicombe also made inquiries to June 1917. Thomas brother later inquired again Dec. 29 1921 as both parents were now dead and he was the only brother. A parcel containing 2 identity discs, letter, cards, photo, religious Book, note book, metal wrist watch (damaged) was sent to his mother. A certificate and note were received but no information about how he had died. Thomas finally received John's medals.

The Chronicle 10 May 1918 p7, ROLL OF HONOUR. VINNICOMBE.
In loving memory of our dear Son and Brother, Pte Jack Vinnicombe, 9th Battalion, killed in action at Bullecourt on the 7th May, 1917.
He sleeps beside his comrades,
In hallowed graves unknown,
But his name is written in letters of love
In the hearts he left at home.
Inserted by his sorrowing mother, sisters, and brother.

57946 Pte Thomas Vinnicombe John's brother 9th Battalion returned to Australia 23 July 1919,

Commemorative Ceremony Nu Lu Park, Nambour - from Nambour Chronicle Friday October 5, 1923. A small gathering met at NU LU Park at the foot of Lamington Terrace to unveil name plates on the fence and to plant trees to commemorate local boys who had gone to war and paid the supreme sacrifice. The eight boys remembered were C.Dall, S.E.Woolf, F.J.Jenkins, J.Kotkamaa, W.Gage, Robert Aird, T.N.Myers and J.Vinnicombe. Many hours of voluntary labour over working bee weekends ensured the sites were properly prepared. Eight tree guards were erected and weeping figs which had been growing well in pots were thriving. Mr A.P.Myers led the men in the planting of the trees in their "rightful place" Everyone was relived when the job was finished. It was hoped that the park would be a place of shade where people could come and remember the boys. Sadly the name plates have disappeared and few of the weeping figs have survived.

Additional Information:

VINNICOMBE, JOHN
4903, Private, 9th Battalion, AIF.
b. 04.05.1892 Carrara, Qld.
Enlisted: 20.08.1915 Brisbane, Qld.
d. 07.05.1917 Bullecourt, France.
Next of Kin: Thomas Vinnicombe –Brother.

Memorial –buried Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie France.

John Vinnicombe’s parents were John Vinnicombe (died in 1907) and Elizabeth Anne Tucker of Rose Hill, Nambour, married in 1888. John was a farmer when he enlisted. His parents came from the Logan district to live on a cane farm at Nambour. Elizabeth was the daughter of well-known Bli Bli farmer Mr John Tucker and his wife Mary Anne Sampson.
John and his brother Thomas both joined up and were sent overseas. John Vinnicombe sailed from Brisbane on HMAT A73 Commonwealth with the 9th Battalion, 15th Reinforcement. He was of medium build, 5 feet 9 inches tall with a fair complexion, hazel eyes and fair hair. After arrival in U.K. and a brief period of training, he was shipped to Egypt on the troop carrier, Arcadian.
Vinnicombe was returned to England 9th August 1916 for a brief leave and left for France 23rd September 1916. He was killed in action in France 7th May 1917. Mrs. Elizabeth Vinnicombe wrote to the Army Base Records requesting news of her son's death and asked for the return of his personal effects. His sister Miss A.M. Vinnicombe also made inquiries to June 1917 and Thomas Vinnicombe, as the only brother, again enquired on 29th December 1921.
A parcel containing 2 identity discs, letter, cards, photo, religious book, note book, metal wrist watch (damaged) arrived for Vinnicombe’s mother. A certificate and note were received, but no information about how John had died. His brother, Thomas, eventually received John's medals.
A notice in the Nambour Chronicle Roll of Honour, May 1918, read: ” In loving memory of our dear Son and Brother, Pte Jack Vinnicombe, 9th Battalion, killed in action at Bullecourt on the 7th May, 1917. He sleeps beside his comrades, In hallowed graves unknown, But his name is written in letters of love In the hearts he left at home. Inserted by his sorrowing mother, sisters, and brother.”
57946 Private Thomas Vinnicombe John's 18 year old brother, also served with the 9th Battalion in France but returned to Australia 23 July 1919, unharmed.
In October 1923, a Commemorative Ceremony was held in Nu Lu Park, Lamington Terrace, Nambour where a small gathering met to unveil name plates on the fence and plant trees to commemorate local boys who had gone to war and paid the supreme sacrifice. The eight remembered were: C. Dall, S.E. Woolf, F.J. Jenkins, J. Kotkamaa, W. Gage, Robert Aird, T.N. Myers and J. Vinnicombe. Eight tree guards were erected and weeping figs which had been growing well in pots thrived. Everyone was relieved when the job was finished and it was hoped that the park would be a place of shade where people could come and remember the boys. Although the park remains - a reduced version of the original - the name plates have disappeared and few of the fig trees have survived.
John Vinnicombe was also remembered on the Maroochy Shire Honour Roll, Shire Chambers, Bury Street, Nambour; The Nambour (Maroochy Shire) Roll of Honour Scroll, Private Collection, Nambour; Maroochy Shire War Dead, Quota Park, Matthew Street, Nambour, in the Australian War Memorial Panel 57 of the Commemorative Area and on the Australian National Memorial, Villers Bretonneux, France.

Source: National Archives of Australia; The Australian War Memorial; Commonwealth War Graves Commission; The AIF Project; Nambour Chronicle Friday October 5, 1906; Our Honour List, Nambour Chronicle 10 Aug 1917, p7; 10 May 1918 p7 & 5 October 1923.

From the Genealogy Sunshine Coast publication
“AND THEIR NAMES SHALL LIVE FOREVER…”
REMEMBERING MILITARY PERSONNEL IN THE OLD MAROOCHY SHIRE CEMETERIES – BOOK 2, THE SMALL CEMETERIES (DIDDILLIBAH, EUMUNDI, GHEERULLA, MAPLETON, OLD NAMBOUR, YANDINA)

Nambour Trees, Nu-Lu Park, Cnr Park Road & Lamington Terrace, Nambour (from Nambour Chronicle 5th October 1923)

Maroochy Shire Honor Roll, Shire Chambers, Bury Street, Nambour

Nambour (Maroochy Shire) Roll of Honor Scroll, Private Collection, Nambour (this scroll was available for sale to the public after the war)

Maroochy Shire War Dead, Quota Park, Matthew Street, Nambour

Australian National Memorial Villers Bretonneux France
Australian War Memorial Panel 57

Our Honour List June. Chronicle 10 Aug 1917, p7.
The AIF Project