Corry, Joseph Henry

7034 Private Joseph Henry Corry - 16th Battalion AIF

Joseph Henry Corry was born in Fremantle WA on the 19th June 1898 to Joseph and Alice Corry. He had seven siblings, with, John 1897, Frederick 1899, Hannah 1901, Samuel 1905, Isabella 1907, Violet 1908 and Thomas 1910.

The family lived in Fremantle to the early 1900's when they moved to the country, firstly to Moora and then to Beverely.

Joseph was educated in Beverely and after leaving school he took up work on the family farm.

In 1916 Joseph was working at Dangin as farmer on the property at Murringurring springs.

On the 16th May 1917 Joseph enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was passed as fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 4 & 1/2 inches tall;

Weight - 126lbs;

Chest Measurement - 35 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Grey;

Hair - Light Brown.

After his successful enlistment Joseph was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to the 21st Reinforcements to the 28th Battalion AIF. Joseph trained with his group in WA until the 24th July 1917 when they entrained for Albany Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Port Melbourne. This ship then set sail for England, arriving at Liverpool on the 16th September 1917.

After being disembarked the men were sent to Salisbury Plains, where Joseph was assigned to the 7th Training Battalion at Rollestone Camp. He remained here until the 8th November 1917 when he was transferred to the 6th Training Battalion at Fovant Camp. He spent a further few months here and on the 23rd January 1918 Joseph arrived in France.

Instead of joining the 28th battalion, Joseph was re-assigned to now join the 16th Battalion AIF and he joined them on the 29th January 1918. The 16th Battalion were then situated south east of Ypres near Hollebeke. Joseph had his first experience of the Western Front in this sector.

On the 21st March 1918 the Germans launched their Spring Offensive which broke through the British line further south. As a result the Australian units were sent south to the Somme battlefield.

The 16th battalion as part of the 4th Australian Brigade were sent to Hebuterne where they teamed up with New Zealand and British units. They stopped the Germans and then began to raid the German positions. On the 5th April 1918 Joseph was wounded when he was shot in the arm. He was then sent to the 26th General Hospital at Camiers but only spent a day there before being sent to England.

Joseph was admitted to Fort Pitt Military Hospital in Chatham and he remained here until the 28th May 1918. He was given a two week furlough and then reported to No.1 Command Depot Camp at Sutton Veny. On the 21st June he was then transferred to the Overseas Training Brigade Camp at Longbridge Deverell.

Joseph was soon sent back to France and rejoined the 16th Battalion on the 24th July 1918.

Joseph took part in the 8th August advance on the Amiens front which broke through the German lines and he served with the 16th Battalion up till their last action on September 18th 1918. In this action at Le Verguier Joseph was again wounded, being hit in the right arm with shrapnel.

Fortunately the wound was not serious and after being treated in France, Joseph returned to his unit on the 16th October 1918. The 16th Battalion were then still out of the front line. They were about to return to the front when the Armistice was announced on the 11th November 1918.

The Germans then withdrew behind their own borders and the Australians were sent into what had been German occupied parts of Belgium and France. On the 15th November 1918 Joseph was detached for duty with the 4th Division Guard. He spent a month with them before returning to the 16th Battalion on the 18th December 1918.

He spent Christmas with his battalion then on the 1st January 1919 was detached for duty with the 4th Division traffic control. He spent two weeks on this duty before returning to the 16th Battalion on the 16th January 1919. He then spent the next few months with the Battalion in France.

On the 9th May 1919 Joseph returned to England and would wait in camp for the next few months while waiting to be assigned a berth on a troopship home.

On the 12th July 1919 Joseph boarded the transport ship City of Exeter and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 16th August 1919. After being disembarked Joseph was given a thorough medical examination at No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace Fremantle. He was then discharged from the AIF a month later on the 16th September 1919.

Joseph then returned to the farm at Dangin before getting his own block of land to farm at Bulyee. Bulyee is situated between Corrigin and Brookton.

In 1925 Joseph married Alice Fairbanks, and a son Joseph was born 1926, followed by June in 1934 and Eileen in 1942.

On the 4th June 1942 Joseph offered his service to the Australian Army in World War Two. He served from 1942 to 1946 in the local Volunteer Defence Corps.

Joseph died on the 3rd December 1950 aged 52. He was buried in Pingelly Cemetery.

(Photo of Joseph courtesy of Corry family)