Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Walter Howard Tunbridge, (2 November 1856 – 11 October 1943) was an Australian soldier and architect.

Biography

Tunbridge was born in

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, to bricklayer John Nicholas Tunbridge and Anne, ''née'' Denne. Educated at Eythorne, he migrated to Australia in 1884 and established himself as an architect in Townsville, where he would eventually establish the civil engineering, architecture and surveying firm Tunbridge & Tunbridge. In February 1889 he was commissioned in the Mounted Infantry of the Queensland Land Forces, and in December was promoted

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

. He and his unit were sent to keep order at the 1891 shearers' strike, and in June 1892 Tunbridge was promoted

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. In November 1898 he was promoted

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

and transferred to the Queensland Artillery Garrison Battery, serving in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

from 1900 and commanding the 3rd Mounted Infantry Contingent. He saw action at Elands River and Rhenoster Kop. He served with distinction and was

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

, appointed

Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregive ...

, awarded the

Queen's South Africa Medal The Queen's South Africa Medal is a British campaign medal awarded to British and Colonial military personnel, and to civilians employed in an official capacity, who served in the Second Boer War in South Africa. Altogether twenty-six clasps wer ...

with five clasps and promoted

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

lieutenant-colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

. He returned to Australia in 1902 and served as aide-de-camp to the

Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

. On 7 April 1904 Tunbridge married Leila Emily Brown in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

, and later extended his firm to include a

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

branch, where he based himself until 1914. Appointed censor for the 3rd Military District in August 1914, he was swiftly promoted to deputy chief censor and before the month was out returned to the military as a lieutenant-colonel in the Australian Imperial Force. Given command of the 1st Australian Division Ammunition Park (Mechanical Transport), Tunbridge and his units arrived in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

in February 1915, where they were incorporated into the British Army as the 300th and 301st Mechanical Transport Companies and sent to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

in July. Influential in various reorganisations of the mechanical transport units, Tunbridge was appointed to command the 1 Anzac Corps Ammunition Park on 25 April 1916 and following a reorganisation in January 1917 became senior mechanical operator of the 1 Anzac Corps. During the

Third Battle of Ypres The Third Battle of Ypres (german: link=no, Dritte Flandernschlacht; french: link=no, Troisième Bataille des Flandres; nl, Derde Slag om Ieper), also known as the Battle of Passchendaele (), was a campaign of the First World War, fought by t ...

his responsibilities covered the entire AIF contingent in France. In June 1918 Tunbridge was promoted

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

; he retired in January 1920 and was formally retired from the AIF in June. He had been mentioned in despatches five times during the war and was appointed

Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III. ...

in 1917,

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

in 1919 and brevet colonel of the Australian Military Forces. He returned to architecture until his retirement in the 1930s. Tunbridge died at

Hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...

in 1943 and was survived by his wife and three children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tunbridge, Walter 1856 births 1943 deaths 19th-century Australian architects 20th-century Australian architects Australian Army officers Australian military personnel of the Second Boer War Australian military personnel of World War I Burials at Box Hill Cemetery Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Companions of the Order of the Bath English emigrants to colonial Australia People from Dover, Kent