Courtney of Courtney's Post

Colonel Courtney on the right relaxing in a deck chair at Heliopolis during AIF training in Egypt, 1915.

Until now, Colonel Richard Courtney has mainly been remembered in the Gallipoli landmark Courtney's Post, but now the Office of Australian War Graves has recommended that Courtney's name be added to the Debt of Honour Register by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and that the OAWG be responsible for the maintenance of his grave, which is at Coburg Cemetery.

Courtney was CO of the 14th Bn from 26 April until 30th May when he was invalided off the Peninsula with heart strain.  He was 45 at this time, and died back in Melbourne in 1919 aged 49.  It has now been rcognised that his death was war-related, and thus he will take his place in the Debt of Honour Register.   Thanks is due to researcher Marilyn Kenny who identified this oversight.

Courtney's medal group has been acquired by the Maryborough Military Museum in Queensland, along with other papers relating to his long military career.