Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Private Charles John Comber (NX42718) was a member of the 2nd/12th Australian Field Ambulance which formed part of “Gull Force”.

This force consisted of 1131 Australian soldiers, Dutch and local native troops whose objective was to occupy Ambon Island, which is located approximately 350 miles North Northeast of Timor in the Banda Sea and hinder the Japanese advance Private Charles John Comber was a member of the large garrison (Laha Garrison), positioned around Laha Airfield prior to the Japanese invasion of 30 January 1942.

After a series of short but fierce battles, fighting on Ambon Island ceased on 2 February 1942. Although many of those captured on other parts of the island survived the war. The troops who had survived the “Battle of Laha” (approximately 315 personnel) were systematically executed and buried in one of four mass graves. The executions took place on the 2nd, 5th, 10th and 20th February 1942 at or near Laha Airfield.

Investigations after the war determined it was impossible to positively identify many of the remains found at Laha. Therefore these ‘war dead’ were declared “Become missing and for Official Purposes Presumed to be Dead, 20 February 1942”. Unfortunately, and Private Charles John Comber was one of these servicemen to which the fortune of war, has denied a formal burial given to his comrades in death."

The remains of these gallant soldiers have now been reinterred in the Ambon War Cemetery as “Unidentified Australian Soldiers” and it is quite possible, Private Charles John Comber maybe one of them.

“Not one life can we call lost, for with it will be riven, the sacred memory of a life, unto his country given." -