My latest piece for the UTAS Diploma. Supposed to be 250 words but I find that's impossible. 

Writing the Family Saga Module 5

The Long Death of Wally Cope

                My Great Granduncle Walter Vernon Cope went off to war in 1915, no doubt spurred on by news of the fighting at Gallipoli. He joined the 32^nd Battalion and was sent first to Egypt for training. He sent letters home to his parents, Walter and Conny. In the local Bunbury paper of 6^th June 1916, it was reported that the flies and heat were ‘fairly bad’ but this was balanced by swims in the Suez Canal. He wrote ‘that everyone is as keen as mustard to get to the front’[1].

                The men of the 32^nd Battalion had their wishes granted very soon after, as they left Egypt on the 17^{th of} June and arrived 6 days later in Marseilles. They didn’t have long to wait for a taste of action either, as they arrived in time for the Battle of Fromelles, fought over the 19^th and 20^th July. It was to be the deadliest 24 hours in Australia history, with over 2000 men killed and another 3500 wounded. Wally’s battalion was given ‘the most difficult position, on the left of the whole attack’[2].Wally went into action but never returned. His family were notified that he was ‘missing’.

                Walter wrote a letter, preserved in Wall’s service file, in September 1916. He described the ‘suspense and anxiety’ felt by Conny and himself and wondered if anything could be done. In July 1917 Walter wrote again. He said that several men who knew his son had only been able to say that he was ‘seen in the trenches in a hand-to-hand struggle with the enemy but did not return the next morning when the roll was called[3]’.

                In September 1917 a Court of Inquiry was held in France. It was deemed that Wally had been killed in action[4]. Two days after this was reported in the papers the Cope’s put in a death notice for their son. They would continue to do so until 1934[5].

 

                                                                Reflection

                Wally’s death wasn’t the only one my extended family suffered in WW1. There were 4 Great Granduncles who died. One Great Grandfather was killed, another wounded, yet another was awarded 2 MMs for bravery and then sent back to headquarters for the last year of the war because he was spent.

                Wally’s body was never found. We have put in our DNA hoping that one day it will be recovered, and he gets a grave with his name. But those who loved him best are long dead.

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[1] Southern Times (Bunbury, WA) Tuesday 06/09/1916 p.3

[2] Bean, C.E.W. The AIF in France p.353. There are numerous books on the murderous debacle that was Fromelles.

[3] See National Australian Archives NAA: B2455, COPE W V. Item ID 3416290 p.34

[4] Ibid, p30

[5] Obviously space is short for these articles so I haven’t been able to go into as much detail as I would like. There was another Cope son, Leonard. He never married and died 18/08/1934. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that no more ‘In Memoriam’ notices appeared for Wally. I think the Copes had had enough grieving for their sons.