Series 4 - World War One


Date Range1917 - 1978
ProvenanceLawrence Percival Coombes
Description

Correspondence, memorabilia and documents relating to L. P. Coombes service in the RAF. Includes wartime experiences of other family members such as Cecil and Dorrie Coombes.


Inventory Listing

4-1 Wartime Postings

Probationary Flight Officer (RNAS) of Ship President from 22 July 1917; PFO of Air Station Chingford from 24 August 1917; PFO of Air Station Cranwell from 6 October 1917; Temporary Flight Sub-Lieutenant of Ship, Daedalus from 28 November 1917; Flight Sub- Lieutenant of Air station Dunkirk from 11 January 1918.

Creator Lawrence Percival Coombes
Date range 1917 - 1918    Quantity 0.2 cm,
Inventory Identifier COOM00140 Box Number 13 Series 4
4-2 Correspondence

2 letters to Mrs J.R. Coombes dated 'Sunday' and '23rd December'; 1 letter to LPC, from B.C. Bell?; letter to LPC from Hudson.

Creator Lawrence Percival Coombes
Date range 1914 - 1918    Quantity 0.2 cm,
Inventory Identifier COOM00141 Box Number 13 Series 4
4-3 General war-associated documents

Certificate of flights for Royal Aero Club conducted at RN Air Station at Fairlop, 20 September 1917; Certificate of satisfactory service on HMS President II, 8 October 1917; Report from Gunnery School, 14 December 1917; Naval and Military Officers' Standing Pass for the Isle of Sheppey Special Military Area, 4 October 1918; List of War Degrees for internal students from the Senate of the University of London listing War BSc (Engineering Degree) for LPC, 20 November 1918, and notification to LPC of the degree; report on leaving 204 Training Depot Station, RAF Eastchurch, 17 March 1919; Protection Certificate, 20 March 1919; letter of demobilisation, 30 April 1919.

Creator Lawrence Percival Coombes
Date range 8 October 1917 - 30 April 1919    Quantity 0.4 cm,
Inventory Identifier COOM00142 Box Number 13 Series 4
4-4 Distinguished Flying Cross documentation

Listing of Army Orders for awards; actual certificate of DFC award.

Creator Lawrence Percival Coombes
Date range 23 July 1918    Quantity 0.3 cm,
Inventory Identifier COOM00143 Box Number 13 Series 4
4-5 British War and Victory Medals.

2 medals in their original packaging.

Creator Lawrence Percival Coombes
Date range 1918?    Quantity 0.5 cm,
Inventory Identifier COOM00144 Box Number 13 Series 4
4-6 War time memorabilia

Postcard with picture of woman in uniform with name written in non-LPC hand dated 1918; printed photos of officers with captions, includes LPC; newspaper cutting dated 23 November 1930 shows Doveton College War Memorial (L.P. Coombes can be clearly seen); cuttings on fellow-officers (R. Collishaw, C.W. Payton, H.T. Mellings, Hinchcliffe), unidentified photo included; words to songs sung in the RNAS, 'So Early in the Morning', 'Lullaby', others untitled.

Creator Lawrence Percival Coombes
Date range 1918 - 1930    Quantity 0.4 cm,
Inventory Identifier COOM00145 Box Number 13 Series 4
4-7 Cecil Coombes

Letter to Mrs J.R. Coombes from Cecil Coombes, LPC's brother, killed in action during World War I, 22 August 1915; medal dated 1914-15; posthumous British War and Victory Medals awarded to Private C.R. Coombes and official accompanying letter to Mr J.R. Coombes, 19 November 1921; and letter from Florence to LPC re sending Cecil's medals, late 1972.

Creator Lawrence Percival Coombes
Date range 1915 - 1972    Quantity 1 cm,
Inventory Identifier COOM00146 Box Number 13 Series 4
4-8 Dorrie Coombes

Original MS of diary of Dorothy Caroline Coombes (LPC's sister) from 11 January 1918 to 12 February 1918, while in the WAAC, describing her time training until going to France. Diary includes: sketches and stencils; letter to her father. Letter, to Rene (LPC's sister).

Creator Lawrence Percival Coombes
Date range 11 January 1918 - 11 August 1918    Quantity 1 cm,
Inventory Identifier COOM00147 Box Number 13 Series 4
4-9 Dorrie material (typed)

Typed copies of material in Dorrie file, with some words omitted. Typist unknown, unlikely to be LPC.

Creator Lawrence Percival Coombes
Date range 11 January 1918 - 11 August 1918    Quantity 0.5 cm,
Inventory Identifier COOM00148 Box Number 13 Series 4
4-10 Correspondence with Gerald T. Muir relating to the war

Correspondence about compiling a history: letters, including 7 photos of planes 'for the lad', dated 5 June 1973, 27 January 1974; typewritten copy of extracts from the log-book of Capt. W.G.R. Hinchcliffe mentioning LPC, 12 January 1978; extract from article on Sopwith Camel from squadron of LPC, 27 January 1978, 25 April 1978; photos acquired through correspondence.

Creator Lawrence Percival Coombes
Date range 1973 - 1978    Quantity 0.5 cm,
Inventory Identifier COOM00149 Box Number 13 Series 4
4-11 Correspondence with R. Collishaw, D. Whetton relating to the war

Letter from Raymond Collishaw, including Victory Scores of 8 best RFC squadrons, 17 April 1968; letter from Douglas Whetton, including typewritten points on the 210 Squadron RAF, 20 March 1973.

Creator Lawrence Percival Coombes
Date range 1968 - 1973    Quantity 0.2 cm,
Inventory Identifier COOM00150 Box Number 13 Series 4
4-12 Articles featuring LPC

Articles from Cross & Cockade - Great Britain Journal: 'Coombe's (sic) Colourful Camel' Photographic study, vol.7 no.3, 1976; 'Barnstorming with Charles Kingsford-Smith', by L.P. Coombs (sic), vol.9 no.4, 1978.

Creator Lawrence Percival Coombes
Date range 1976 - 1978    Quantity 0.8 cm,
Inventory Identifier COOM00151 Box Number 13 Series 4

Published by the The University of Melbourne eScholarship Research Centre on AustehcWeb, July 2008
With support from The Coombes Family, in particular Jo Johnson and Shirley Macleish, The Aeronautical Research Laboratory, DSTO Australia, J.R. Baxter , A.E. Billington, L.M. Bland, F.G. Blight, R.L. Brooks, R. Bruton, B.G. Catchpole, A. Chilton, D.C. Collis, B.L. Cumming, J.B. Dance, W.B. Duncan, A.B. Emslie, C. Frame, F.A. Fox, R.I. Garrod, D.G. Hurley, S.T.M. Johnstone, A.G. Jones, C.N. King, F.G. Lewis, E.S. Moody, R.V. Pavia, A.O. Payne, D. Secomb, D.G. Stewart, R.A.Wallis, H.L. Wain, J.C. Wisdom and And others who contributed to the L.P. Coombes Appeal
Listed by Rod Buchanan, Mandy Johnson, Ann McCarthy, Gavan McCarthy, Lisa O'Sullivan, Mark Scillio and Angela Taylor
HTML edition
Updated 23 March 2009
http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/guides/coom/COOMS004.htm

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