COGGAN, Richard Norman

COGGAN, Richard Norman – A Southern Downs Veteran

CONFLICT : WWI
SERVICE NO : 7811
RANK : Sapper
UNIT : 2nd Tunnelling Company
ENLISTMENT DATE : 2/06/1917
AGE : 28
PLACE OF ENLISTMENT : Toowoomba, Queensland
PLACE OF BIRTH : Inverell, New South Wales
RELIGION : Church of England
OCCUPATION : Farmer
DATE OF DEATH : 15/05/1969
PLACE OF BURIAL : Bridgeman Downs, Queensland

MEMORIALS : Yelarbon War Memorial, Yelarbon Roll of Honour, Goondiwindi War Memorial

View Veteran’s Service File : COGGAN, Richmond Norman

NOTES : In 1888 Richmond Norman Coggan was born in Inverell, New South Wales to Frank and Annie Hyde (nee Nias) Coggan. Richmond moved from the family home and was living and working as a farmer at Kurumbul in the Goondiwindi region when he enlisted on 2 June 1917.

He undertook training at Bendigo and Broadmeadows before embarking from Melbourne on board HMAT A71 Nestor on 21 November 1917. Richmond was assigned to the Tunnelling Companies as a Sapper. The unit disembarked at Suez and marched into the Australian Camp before being entrained to the Australian Camp at Gabbary, Alexandria.

Promoted to Acting Lance Corporal on 25 January 1918 for a short period, he reverted back to the rank of Sapper on 2 March 1918 after being placed on the ill list. Richmond was admitted to Fort Pitt Military Hospital with tuberculosis of the lung. He proceeded overseas to France before returning to England for treatment for the tuberculosis.

He returned to Australia per the Australian Hospital Ship A63 Karoola on 20 July 1918 and was discharged medically unfit.

On 21 December he married Maud Frances Austin and the couple lived in the Goondiwindi region. By 1943 the family were living in Roma before they settled down in Toowoomba to live in 1949.

Copyright 2026 Deborah C Wheeler and Duncan McLean, Southern Downs Military History

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