Notes
He was born at Frome, Somerset, on 7 January 1893, the only son of the Revd Arthur Henry Coombs, Baptist Minister, of Sale, Manchester. He was educated at Manchester Grammar School (1909-1911) before winning a Scholarship to Corpus where he achieved a 2nd class degree in Mathematics in 1914 and was also Secretary of the Association Football Club (1912-1913), its Captain (1913-1914) and Secretary of Cricket 1913 and its Captain in 1914. He was briefly an Assistant Mathematics Master at Wellington College, Berkshire in 1914 and was engaged to Phyllis Hope [of Taunton] before enlisting in January 1915.