General News
9 May, 2026
William Hentry Coster
VETERAN VOICES: William was born in Geelong on 15 January 1918.
William was living in Horsham.
His father was Henry Coster, and he resided at his home in Mills Street, Horsham.
Prior to the beginning of the war, William was working at J. Langland’s & Son as a shop assistant.
William was in the Militia Forces before World War 2.
He enlisted on 1/10/35 and was a driver up until 8/2/1937.
From 9/2/39 to 31/1/39 he was promoted to Corporal.
Then on 1/2/39 to 14/9/39 William was promoted to Sergeant.
William served in 59MS from 15/9/39 to 11/12/39.
He was again promoted on 12/12/39, this time to Lieutenant. William received pay up until 30/6/39.
William enlisted on 25 June 1940 at Caulfield in the Australian Army.
His service number was VX40985. He served in 7th and 9th Australian Division Cavalry Regiment.
As a Lieutenant in 9th Australian Divisional Cavalry, while in the theatre of Combat or operations in the Middle East in Egypt and Libya.
William was recommended for a Military Cross. The date of this announcement was 14/10/1943.
His Citation reads “Outstanding gallantry & devotion El Alamein, 23 October 1943 to Jan 43”
In Argus Saturday 23 June 1945 on page 28. Daylight Patrols Near Enemy Lines
Capt William Henry Coster M.C for outstanding service and devotion to duty during the Alamein battle in 1942 Capt (Lt) Coster, Officer In Charge of 4 Carrier Troop, Australian Division.
His Cavalry Regiment was awarded the Military Cross. On November 1 1942, during the bitter Alamein battle, Coster led his troop on a daylight reconnaissance of enemy positions under heavy fire.
Encountering an enemy minefield, Coster dismounted and coolly removed the mines in order that the patrol might continue the advance.
The enemy fire became so fierce and concentrated that he sent his troop back to a covered position while he went on alone.
With his radio apparatus, Coster raced to a good observation position and, for several hours, braved the enemy fire to send back information.
Later, when ordered to report on another post, Coster, with one man, went forward on foot and obtained valuable information for our forces.
The following morning, the gallant officer deliberately drew enemy fire to his vehicle while other carriers successfully probed enemy posts.
William was mentioned in Dispatches as a Captain and a Lieutenant, but his final rank was Captain in the Australian Army while serving in the 7th and 9th Australian Division Cavalry Regiments.
These awards were published in the London Gazette 14/10/1943 on page 4546 at position one, and 30/12/1941 on page 7359 at position twenty-two and the Commonwealth Gazette on 6/01/1944 page 6 at position thirteen.
At the end of the Second World War, his rank was Captain in the Australian Army. William was discharged from the Army on 31 July 1945 as Captain in the 2/9 Cavalry Comm Regiment.
William died on 20 July 1994 at age 76. William Henry Coster’s grave is located at South 2-1-14, at the Horsham Cemetery, Horsham Rural City, Victoria, Australia.
Cavalry regiment remembered
The 9th Australian Division Cavalry Regiment served in the Syrian Campaign at El Alamein, North Borneo and Tarakan
Their Battle Honours were in Borneo, the Defence of Alamein Line, El Alamein, Jebel Mazar, Labuan, Sanyet el Miteirya, Sidon, Syria 1941, Tel el Eisa, Tell el Makh Khad, Wadi Zeini and West Point 23. Campaign Honours were for North Africa 1942 and South-West Pacific 1945.
The 8th Division Cavalry Regiment was formed in July 1940 when the regiment was raised around the nucleus of two squadrons from the 7th Division Cavalry Regiment.
Based at Seymour, in Victoria, the regiment trained on Vickers light tanks and machine-gun carriers, but in February 1941, the unit was redesignated the 9th Division Cavalry Regiment.
With the 8th Division being sent to Malaysia, Singapore, and the islands, its commander mistakenly thought that armour would only have limited use in the jungle. Consequently, the regiment was re-assigned to the 9th Division.
Sailing for the Middle East in April, the regiment arrived in Egypt and then moved to Palestine.
Within 30 days of its arrival in Palestine, the regiment was in action in Syria.
In June, with the 6th Division Cavalry Regiment, it supported the 7th Division as part of the Allied invasion of Syria.
The 9th Divisional Cavalry Regiment's A and C Squadrons relieved the 6th Divisional Cavalry Regiment's troops supporting the 21st Brigade south of Saida and the 25th Brigade in the Merdjayoun area.
While in Syria, the regiment also used captured French Renault R35 tanks in addition to its Vickers light tanks and machine-gun carriers.
As the war in the North Africa continued and German armour became stronger, the regiment was equipped with Crusader cruiser tanks, Stuart light tanks, and machine-gun carriers.
By July 1942, the situation had become critical for Allied forces as German and Italian troops had reached El Alamein, in Egypt.
The 9th Division was consequently rushed to the Alamein "box" and held the northern sector for almost four months as the 8th Army was reinforced for a new offensive.
Two of the regiment's squadrons provided protection for 9th Division headquarters, while in September, the regiment supported the 2/15th Battalion's raid during operation "Bulimba".
During the main Alamein offensive at the end of October, the regiment was held in reserve and did not play a significant role in the fighting.
However, once the breakthrough was made on 3 November, the regiment's crusaders led the coastal advance and reached El Daba the same day, before being withdrawn.
Alamein was a great, although bloody, success for the Allies and by 6 November, enemy forces were retreating. But the 9th Division was needed elsewhere.
In January 1943, the regiment left Egypt and boarded troopships for Australia.
The unit reached Sydney at the end of February and, after a period of leave, regrouped with the rest of the division on the Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, in April.
During 1943 and 1944, divisional cavalry regiments were reorganised into cavalry (commando) regiments.
In January 1944, the 9th Division Cavalry Regiment became the 2/9th Cavalry (Commando) Regiment.
The regiment lost its vehicles and instead became the administrative headquarters for the 2/4th, 2/11th, and 2/12th Commando Squadrons.
However, the regiment remained with the 9th Division for its final campaign on Tarakan and British North Borneo during 1945.