COUSENS, Sydney Leake
| Service Number: | 5322 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 14 February 1916, Sydney was 30 years old when he enlisted. He was 5'7" tall, weighed 126 lbs.Medium complexion, grey eyes, fair hair. |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 26th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | South Cave, Yorkshire, England, 9 June 1885 |
| Home Town: | Toowoomba, Toowoomba, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Grocer's Assistant |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Near Marcelcave south-east of Villers-Bretonneux, France, 8 August 1918, aged 33 years |
| Cemetery: |
Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery Plot X11, Row A, Grave 3, Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Toowoomba Court Saxon, Toowoomba Roll of Honour WW1, Toowoomba St James' M2, Toowoomba War Memorial (Mothers' Memorial) |
World War 1 Service
| 14 Feb 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5322, 26th Infantry Battalion, Sydney was 30 years old when he enlisted. He was 5'7" tall, weighed 126 lbs.Medium complexion, grey eyes, fair hair. | |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Aug 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 5322, 26th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Itonus embarkation_ship_number: A50 public_note: '' | |
| 3 Apr 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 5322, 26th Infantry Battalion, German Spring Offensive 1918, See personal stories | |
| 8 Aug 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 5322, 26th Infantry Battalion, The Battle of Amiens, See Personal Stories |
Sydney Cousens Diary - the lead up to the Battle of Amiens
Sydney's diary entries cease on 20 July. From the War Diaries of the 7th Brigade held by the Australian War Memorial, the 26th Battalion was in reserve at Glisy and Blangy from 1 August before moving up into the line on 7 August.
On 8 August the Battle of Amiens commenced with an attack launched at 4.20 am. The 26th Battalion, working with a section of tanks, was on the right flank and were to advance along the north side of the railway line towards Marcelcave. Objectives ironically included Card Copse where Sydney was initially buried. Reports state there was heavy fog and visibility was restricted to 10 yards for about 2 hours. A large number of casualties were due to men being caught in their own rolling barrage.
From reports in the Australian Red Cross Society Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau Files, Sydney was in D Coy and died instantaneously after being hit by pieces of a shell. Pte H Webley 6167 of B Coy 26th Battalion stated 'Casualty happened in the morning of 8-8-18 just after the hop over when still in action'. Pte Webley was wounded by the same shell. Sydney was initially buried on the 9th August in Card Copse British Cemetery one mile North West of Marcelcave before being re-interred in Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery on 31st March 1920. Sydney is also commemorated on the Mothers Memorial in East Creek Park and the Soldiers Memorial Hall, both in Toowoomba. Sydney's younger brother, Stanley Clifford Cousens #816 15th Battalion also served in WW1 and was killed in action on 9th August 1916 two years earlier at Pozieres.
Compiled by Ian Cousens
Submitted 8 October 2019 by Steve Larkins
Sydney Cousens Diary - "Peaceful Penetration
From the 7th Brigade diaries, the 26th Battalion were back in line at Frenchcourt on 14/15 June. When an inspection was carried out at Frenchcourt on 20 June the Battalion consisted of 40 officers and 867 other ranks. They were described as being very smart. Returning to Sydney's dairy, he recorded on Thursday 27 June that they 'took over line at Villers-Bretonneux.
D Company in reserve for 10 days living in dugout. Trey Bon'. It was Friday 12 July before they were 'sent out of the line for a rest'. He must have been back in the line on Wednesday 17 July as he noted that the 'Brits hopped over, took Fritz's line, went about 1500 yards and that 'D Coy had 40 odd casualties, 3 killed'. Saturday 20 July was the 4th Brigade Sports and Sydney noted that he 'met half Toowoomba' and names eight people. That was the last entry Sydney made in his diary.
Compiled by Ian Cousens
Submitted 8 October 2019 by Steve Larkins
Sydney Cousens Diary - and the German Spring Offensive
From Sydney's diary, his Battalion relieved the 19th Batttalion on Thursday 21 March but he gave no indication of location. Referral to the War Diaries of the 7th Brigade held by the Australian War Memorial indicate they were in camp at Canteen Corner and moved into the line near the villages of Romarin and Kortepyp just inside the Belgian border with France. The entry for Tuesday 26 March, their 2nd in the front line, stated it was 'very lively. Fritz shooting bombs nearly all night. Had to fall back for a while'. On Saturday 30 March Sydney recorded 'Fritz's plane bought by gunfire fell about 300 years from my dugout. Officer taken prisoner'. Sydney then tell that he 'went out with patrol. Spent several hours in no mans land. Very wet and got into swamp on the bank of the River Lys. No sign of Fritz so came in again. Wet through and mud up to knees'. On Tuesday 2 April Sydney recorded it was their 12th day in the line and that the Battalion was relieved by the South Lancashires from the Somme. Following the diary entries, the 26th Battalion spent the night in a camp and on Wednesday 3 April moved to Meteren en route for the Somme.
On Thursday 4 April they left Meteren for Caestre 'to load gear on trains working all night'. Sydney records 'it was very wet and slushy'. They left Caestre at 6 am on Friday 5 April arriving in Amiens at 8 pm. Then then marched to Allonville where the spent the night. The next day they marched to La Neuville which Sydney described as 'a small village, left in a hurry by the population as everything was left behind, even cows and a few tame rabbits in out billet'.
On Sunday 7 April the Battalion marched to Baizieux to spend some days in support. Sydney states there were 'no billets and have to put up this time in the trench and there are no places to shelter anyway'. On Thursday 11 April Sydney recorded that '3 Hun planes brought down by gun fire. Had no time to go over and see as we were ready to move up the line'.
Friday 12 April was the Battalions 'first night in the front line about 4 miles from Albert. Very quiet. Heavy bombardment on our left but nothing our way'. On Friday 19 April Sydney recorded that they were at Franvillers having 'moved back a couple of miles for a couple of days spell. Living in holes in the side of a hill. Light fall of snow during the day. Very cold'. He comments on the 'terrible scarcity for matches' and then on Monday 22 April says he 'heard there were matches at Heilly about 3 miles away. Walked over and managed to get 4 boxes. Going up in line tonight on fatigue'. Wednesday 24 April saw them back in the front line from 11 pm.
On 26 April they 'bombarded Fritz's trench with mortars. Knocked out his machine guns'. they were relieved from the front line on Monday 29 April, went into support for a day and then were 'marched out for a couple of days spell'. They were back in reserve on Saturday 4 May and 'had to dig bivies to camp for the night. Dug into bank alongside a railway. 9.2 gun on line shaking hell out of us'. On Friday 10 May Sydney and his mates left for the line arriving 4 pm and went into reserves. Again they had to build bivies, this time in the trench. Sydney records that they went into reserves near Ribemont and 'met my old friend the Queensland mosquito'. He also comments 'I think all the vermin in the world is around this part, not including Huns'.
Compiled by Ian Cousens
Submitted 8 October 2019 by Steve Larkins
Biography contributed by Ian Cousens
Sydney Leake COUSENS (1885-1918)
Sydney was the eldest son of Clapham Cousens and his second wife Esther Ann Leake. He was baptised in North Cave, Yorkshire in July 1885. The family emigrated to Toomoomba in May 1886. Sydney had been a grocers assistant for WC Peak & CO of Toomoomba for 15 years when he enlisted.
On 8th August 1916, Sydney as part of the 26th Battalion, 14th Reinforcements, sailed from Brisbane on ship A50, HMAT Itonus. They disembarked at Plymouth on 18 October 1916 and joined 7th Training Battalion at Rollestone on Salisbury Plain. In December Sydney became seriously ill with Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis. Sydney was initially treated in Tidworth Military Hospital before being transferred to Benslow Military Hospital in Hitchin on 8th March 1917. Sydney was discharged on 2 July 1917 and returned to Rollestone for 5 days. Due to his serious illness he was then sent to Weymouth Convelescent Depot until 14th October 1917.
He left Southhampton on 27 December 1917 and disembarked at Le Havre before rejoining the 26th Battalion on 1st January 1918. From the 6th of March 1918 Sydney was able to enjoy eight days leave in Paris. From his diary, he was in the front line from the 25th March until 2nd April on the French Belgium border near the River Lys. The 26th Battalion then moved to Amiens, arriving at 8pm on 5th April and camping at Allonvile. They moved to Neuville and then to Baizieux where they had to stay in the trenches as there were no billets. Sydney was back in the front line on the night of 12th April about 4kms from Albert. By the 19th they were living in holes in the side of a hill near Franvillers and light snow was falling. The Battalion was relived on 29th April and went into reserves near Ribemont until June 27th when the Battalion took over the line at Villers-Bretonneux. As a member of the 26th Battalion it is likely that Sydney saw the famous German Tank " Mephisto".
During the advance on the 8th August 1918 Sydney as a member of the 26th Battalion was on the right flank of an attack towards Marcelcave. From a Red Cross report by Pte Hugh Webley, "He was in D Coy, and I saw him killed in front of Villers-Bretonneux, when death was instantaneous, he being hit by pieces of a shell on the head and shoulders. Casualty happened in the morning of 8-8-18 just after the hop-over when still in action. I knew him well ... I was wounded by the same shell..." Other reports in the Red Cross files say he was killed between Villers Bretonneux and Marcelcave.
Sydney was buried on the 9th August in Card Copse British Cemetery one mile North West of Marcelcave before being re-interred in Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery on 31st March 1920.
Sydney is also commemorated on the Mothers Memorial in East Creek Park and the Soldiers Memorial Hall, both in Toowoomba.
Sydney's younger brother, Stanley Clifford Cousens #816 15th Battalion also served in WW1 and was killed in action on 8th August 1916 two years earlier at Pozieres.
Biography contributed by Ian Cousens
Sydney's 1/2 brother, Harry Richmond Cousens, served in the Boer War. He was Private 245 with the 4th Queensland Imperial Bushmen and Private 685 with the 6th Queensland Imperial Bushmen.
Five of Harry's children, who were 1/2 nephews to Sydney served in WWII with Australian forces.
Joseph Arthur Cousens QX 1766 was also related to Sydney. His father and Sydney were cousins.
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