Cabena, William Bruce (Private, b.? - d.?)

Collection relating to the First World War service of 599 Private William Bruce Cabena, 21 Battalion, 1916. Collection includes typescript copy of letter describing voyage to France via South Africa, 1916. Copies made 192? by the Australian War Memorial. Location of original unknown.

There are a number of inconsistencies with this collection item. The folder indicates the regimental number to be 1020 which is the number of Private Harold Cabena, Australian Flying Corps. If the collection relates to 599 Private William Bruce Cabena, 21 Battalion, then the date of 12 December 1916 typed on the letter must be incorrect, as, according to the Nominal Roll AWM133, he had returned to Australia 11 April 1916. If, on the other hand, the regimental number of 1020 is correct, then the collection relates to Private Harold Cabena, Australian Flying Corps, and the typed closing salutation of "Bruce" is in error. According to the Nominal Roll AWM133, 1020 Private Harold Cabena embarked 17 October 1916 and so could be arriving on France in December 1916. The letter indicates that the writer intended to return to Australia with the ship on which he travelled to France. The ship off-loaded a cargo of wheat at Havre and also intended to offload cargo at London. It is therefore not clear if the writer was serving in a military unit (either 21 Battalion, Australian Flying Corps, or any other unit). The writer may have been William Bruce Cabena returning as a seaman. That being the case, the date typed on the letter would not be inconsistent. However, overall, the letter reads as if written by a first-time traveller, not a person who had seen action. The letter is not in original form and there is little other information to firmly establish its correct author. As the letter had previously been attributed to 599 Private William Bruce Cabena, 21 Battalion, this attribution has been retained.