Cusack, Joseph

4784 Private Joseph Mark Cusack - Imperial Camel Corps & 15th Light Horse Regiment

The majority of the Cusack’s arrived in Western Australia in 1900 on the ship Paroo, having previously lived in Scone NSW. On arrival they initially took up residence in Katanning but soon moved to Fremantle where they took up residence at 185 Holland Street. (In the 1930s the street was re-numbered and the residence became, and remains, 110 Holland Street.)  

Robert and Anne Cusack had seventeen children in all, though only 13 lived past infancy.

Their eldest son was Edward Patrick Cusack who had preceded his family to WA and he initially lived in the South West where he was employed in forestry work. He joined the police force for several years and then took up farming in Narembeen near Wandering.

Joe and Luke Cusack also joined him there though Luke would return to live in Fremantle.

At this stage, in 1912, Robert, Matthew, Luke and Bernie were still all living at home in Holland Street.

Joseph Cusack had been working as a shearer when he enlisted in the AIF on 16 November 1915. He was thirty years old on enlistment and the medical examiner found him fit for service and recorded his physical attributes as: 5 feet 8½ inches; 154 lbs; chest measurement of 36-39 inches; dark complexion; dark eyes; and, black hair. 

Upon his successful enlistment Joe was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was initially assigned to No.36 Training Depot. On 16 December 1915 he was assigned to the 14th Reinforcements of the 12th Battalion. He spent the next few weeks training with this group but on 4 January 1916 he transferred to the 14th Reinforcements to the 16th Battalion. He spent a further month training with this group in WA but he was then transferred again to the 15th Reinforcement to the 16th Battalion.

On 1 April 1916 Joe boarded HMAT Ulysses in Fremantle and set sail for Egypt, arriving there on 26 April 1916. Joe was then transferred to the 4th Training battalion and on 5 May 1916 he joined the No.4 Company of the Imperial Camel Corps. He spent the next few months serving with this unit in the Egyptian desert until a septic foot saw him hospitalised for a few days in August 1916. He returned to his unit to see action at Romani and the retreat of the Turkish forces through the Sinai desert. In November 1916 Joe had another stay in hospital due to dysentery which was a common ailment for the troops in the desert conditions.

While recovering from his illness, Joe ran afoul of military discipline, being charged with being drunk and disorderly conduct and for also being absent without leave. As a punishment he was given eight days of Field Punishment at a Field Compound in Abbassia Egypt.

On 3 January 1917, Joe rejoined the Imperial Camel Corps and he served with his unit at the capture of Rafa in January 1917 and also the unsuccessful assault on Gaza in April 1917. Joe served with his company for the next five months through to October 1917. He then came down ill and spent a month in hospital.

He rejoined the Imperial Camel Corps on 5 November 1917 and spent the next seven months with his unit, during some of which time they were located in the Jordan Valley. He served at the operations at Es Salt in April and May 1918 but on 13 May he was sent to the ICC Field Ambulance with malaria. He was then transferred to hospital in Gaza and spent the next month being sent to various hospitals eventually making it back to Cairo in mid-June 1918. 

By the time his health had improved in July 1918 the Imperial Camel Corps was being disbanded with the Australians going on to form two new Light Horse Regiments. Joe joined the 15th Light Horse Regiment and he saw much action as the Turks were being pushed back towards Damascus. On 4 October 1918 Joe again was hospitalised with ill health and he was diagnosed with debility. He saw no more action as the Turks soon surrendered.

On 15 March 1919 Joe boarded HMAT Euripides and set sail for home. After arriving in Fremantle over three weeks later he was admitted to hospital in Fremantle due to his malaria but he was soon released and he was officially discharged from the AIF on 10 August 1919. 

Unfortunately his health would be affected over the coming years due to his war service. He married in 1921 and in 1930 he returned to Holland Street, Fremantle, where he lived until his death in 1956.