Freedom John Valentine Coombes

Ngā ingoa tuatahi

Freedom John Valentine AWMM

Ingoa whānau

Coombes AWMM

Nama Hōia

2813 AWMM

Ira tangata

Male AWMM

Pakanga

World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM

Te Ope o Tū / te peka

Army AWMM

Nama Hōia

2813 AWMM

Tuhinga hauora

Killed on Active Service, Cause of Death AWMM

Te tūnga whakamutunga

Lance Corporal/Military AWMM
18 Infantry Battalion AWMM

Son of Valentine Edward Coombes, and of Wilhelmina Eliza Alice Coombes (Minnie) (nee Golden), of Kaitaia AWMM

Matenga

18 Dec 1939 AWMM
Age  21 AWMM

Te momo matenga

Killed on Active Service AWMM

Urupā

Taumarunui (Old) Cemetery, Taumarunui, New Zealand AWMM Church of England Section 19 E. AWMM

Ingoa maumaharatanga

• Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 2 Hall of Memories AWMM
• Freedom drowned in the Whanganui River, at Te Whakarae, he was not killed on active service. I know as my father was the 12 year old who attempted to save him when Freedom got into trouble. He often spoke of that day. This was well documented in local papers at the time.
  Public - Dianne - 24 August 2026 - Found in Papers Past and also that, Alan Woolston, the 12 year old boy would be recommended for a Royal Humane Society Award. I have the certificate.

Mea e whai hononga ai

Hononga ki waho

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
  https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2920522
  Sources Used
• Dawson, W. (1961). 18 Battalion and Armoured Regiment. Wellington, Dept. of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. Digital copy
  https://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/webarchive/20210104000423/http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-18Ba.html
  Further Reference

Ngā tuhinga

• Dawson, W. (1961). 18 Battalion and Armoured Regiment. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
• Auckland Museum. Roll of Honour, Auckland Province, 1939 - 1945. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 93/139.