Bee, George Cusack
16022 Gunner George Cusack Bee - 24th Field Artillery Brigade AIF
George Cusack Bee was born in Bolton Lancashire in 1877, and he had his early life in England.
George then migrated to Western Australia and in Fremantle in 1901 he married Margaret Bates and they would have three children, Hilda (1903), Henry (1904) and William (1908).
During this time the family were living at Fifth Avenue Chester Park (Beaconsfield) and George was working as a striker/boilermaker for the WA Government Railways. However prior to the Great War George was working as a Greengrocer and the family had moved to 54 Mandurah Road South Fremantle and then to 222 South Terrace.
On the 29th November 1915 George enlisted into the AIF. He was found to be fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 7 & 1/2 inches tall;
Weight - 134lbs;
Chest Measurement - 33-37 inches
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Blue;
Hair - Steel Grey.
After his successful enlistment George was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to the infantry training depot and was then assigned to the reinforcement for the Australian Artillery. He went over to Victoria and NSW to complete his training.
On the 13th May 1916 George embarked from Sydney NSW on the transport ship HMAT Beltana and set sail for England. On his arrival in England George was sent to the Artillery Training Depot at Swanage he remained in England through 1916 to 1918. He was promoted to Acting Quartermaster Sergeant and served in the Artillery training depots for the duration of the war. He was never assigned for duty to the Western Front.
George returned to Australia on the hospital ship Saxon and disembarked in Fremantle on the 20th January 1919.
The family then resided in Hampton Road Fremantle through the 1920's and 30's.
George Bee died in Fremantle on the 1st December 1949.