Robert Grant Cambourne 1912~1943

 

Robert Grant Cambourne was born on September 7 1912 at Cowra Nsw. He was the middle child of the three who were born to parents John Edgar & Lila Louise Mercedes Cambourne nee Grant.

 

Although Robert had not been born in the Lavington area his father John or, Jack as he was known, had been born in Albury in 1885. John Edgar Cambourne was the son of Thomas John Cambourne and Ann (Annie) Wilmore Gurnett. At the time of John Edgar's birth the family were residing at the Table Top siding.

 

John Edgar's father Thomas was a fettler with the NSW Railways before being promoted to "permanent way" inspector at Narrandera in 1912. John then followed in his father's footsteps becoming an engine-driver with the NSW Railways. John had been stationed at Murrumburrah, Cowra & Wellington. He met and married his wife Lila at Murrumburrah in 1909. 

 

The family returned to Albury possibly around 1918 after the birth of the last child Thomas.

 

Robert Grant Cambourne had attended the Lavington Public school but never went to high school. He was a labourer and more than likely would have worked on one of the local farms. He ventured to Melbourne in the early 1930's and in 1935 he met and married Ann Florence Geyer at the Anglican Church in the Melbourne suburb of Kensington. I believe that they had two children ... one deceased and one still living and there are grandchildren. Ann Florence Cambourne re-married three years after Robert's death in 1946 to Clarence Gordon Quast. She died in Albury in December 1963

 

In January 1942, three years after war broke out in June 1939, Robert has enlisted in the Australian Infantry and although the details listed on the WWII Nominal Roll suggest he had enlisted at Caulfield Victoria, I have been told by his brother-in-law that Robert  enlisted at the Melbourne Town Hall.

 

It is rather ironic that after Robert had traveled all the way down to Melbourne, married and enlisted, that the Battalion he was attached to would turn out to be the -  2/23 ... Albury's Own!!!!! 

 

I know that the family were living at Parkinson street just near the Albury Railway Station in 1930. Later the family, including Robert's wife Ann Florence nee Geyer, moved to Wagga Road Lavington Nsw. The family were here when news of Robert's death reached them.

 

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The following is from the WWII Nominal Roll:

 

 Cambourne: Robert Grant

 

• Service: Australian Army

 

• Service Number: VX73743

 

• Date of Birth: 7 September 1912

 

• Place of Birth: Cowra Nsw

 

• Date of Enlistment: 28 January 1942

 

• Locality on Enlistment: Newport Vic

 

• Place of Enlistment: Caulfield Vic

 

• Next of Kin: Anna Cambourne (wife)

 

• Date of Death: 1 December 1943

 

• Rank: Private

 

• Posting on Death: 2/23 Australian Infantry Battalion

 

• WWII Honours and Gallantry: None for display

 

• Prisoner of War: No

 

• Roll of Honour: Albury Nsw (Robert's name also appears on the plaques that adorn the gates at the Urana Road Oval Lavington)

 

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This is an abridged version of the text found at the Australian War Memorial:

 

"The 2/23rd Infantry Battalion was raised at the Albury Showgrounds in New South Wales in August 1940, as part of the 26th Brigade. Initially the brigade belonged to the 7th Division but in early 1941 moved to the 9th Division. The battalion did its initial training in Albury before moving to Bonegilla, Victoria, before sailing for the Middle East in November.

 

Although the British had been successful during the early part of the year against German counter-attacks, the 9th Division fell back to Tobruk - colloquially referred to as the “Benghazi handicap”. Sub-units from the 2/23rd entered Tobruk between 6 and 10 April. The battalion helped defend Tobruk for eight months, manning a series of concrete pillboxes located in a semicircle around the town, called the Red Line.

 

The battalion was also engaged in defending El Alamein before being repatriated to Gaza in Palestine and then sailing for Australia and reaching Melbourne in late February 1943.

 

Robert had missed both of those encounters only re-joining the 2/23 in mid to late December of 1942 after spending time in hospital with a badly infected elbow.

 

Reorganised for jungle operations, on 4 September the 2/23rd participated in the division’s amphibious landing at Red Beach, north west of Lae. Shortly before the landing occurred, the invasion fleet was attacked by six Japanese fighters and three bombers. Most of the Japanese bombs missed the Allied ships but one bomb hit the landing craft carrying the 2/23rd headquarters - killing the battalion commander and the ship’s captain. The landing craft, however, made it to shore and the 2/23rd participated in the subsequent fighting around Lae, Finschhafen, and "Sattelberg". After Sattelberg, the 2/23rd continued to move inland, capturing Masangkoo, Kuanko, and finally on 9 December, Wareo.

 

On the 1st December 1943 Robert was listed as KIA at Sattelberg!

 

Robert had initially been buried where he fell at Sattelberg on the day he was killed. Later an order was issued for the remains of Robert and his fallen comrades to be re-interred at Finschhafen War Cemetery. Robert's details: Re-interred on March 13 1944; Plaque - H; Row - B; Grave - # 9.

 

When the Lae War Cemetery was opened later in 1944 the graves of all those brave young men (2804) who lost their lives during the New Guinea campagin were brought there from the temporary military cemeteries in areas where the fighting had taken place."

 

Robert Grant Cambourne lies in eternal rest in the Lae War Cemetery. Grave Reference: CC. A. 12.

 

We are not now that strength which in old days

Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

 

Ulysses

 

Alfred, Lord Tennyson 1809~1892