COSSON, John George
| Service Number: | 2454 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 8 May 1915, Perth, Western Australia |
| Last Rank: | Second Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 48th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Mortlake, London, England, 8 April 1866 |
| Home Town: | East Fremantle, East Fremantle, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | State School Western Australia |
| Occupation: | Tobacconist |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Pozières, France, 7 August 1916, aged 50 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Commemorated on Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Boulder Kalgoorlie Amateur Swimming Club Roll of Honour, Boulder Roll of Honor, Boulder Roll of Honour Board, East Fremantle Municipality Roll of Honour, Fremantle 849 Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 8 May 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2454, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, Enlisted in May. Embarked in June. Cannot have had much training. | |
|---|---|---|
| 8 May 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2454, Perth, Western Australia | |
| 18 Jun 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2454, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Chilka embarkation_ship_number: A51 public_note: '' | |
| 2 Aug 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2454, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 7 Aug 1915: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 2454, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), The August Offensive - Lone Pine, Suvla Bay, Sari Bair, The Nek and Hill 60 - Gallipoli, Shell wound (left thigh) | |
| 20 Dec 1915: | Honoured Distinguished Conduct Medal, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 1 Jan 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1) | |
| 1 Apr 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1) | |
| 14 Apr 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 48th Infantry Battalion | |
| 7 Aug 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 48th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , Killed in Action. Service Medal: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal. |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by John Edwards
"John George Cosson was born at Barnes, England during 1866 to parents John and Eliza. He immigrated to Australia at the age of eight and married Elizabeth Mackenzie in 1900. A tobacconist by trade, he enlisted at Perth on 12 May 1915. At the age of 49, he joined the 16th Infantry Battalion with the rank of private and departed Fremantle aboard HMAT Chilka on 18 June 1915. Two nephews, Private Frederick Arthur Kinsey and Private Harry Cosson, also served during the First World War.
Cosson was wounded at the battle of Lone Pine on 7 August 1915 and re-joined his unit during October 1915. Cosson was still at Gallipoli for the evacuation and was amongst the last 22 men to leave. On 1 January 1916, he was promoted to the rank of corporal and four months later transferred to the 48th Infantry Battalion. It was also at this time that he became a second lieutenant. During 1916, Cosson also received a mention in despatches and was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. John Cosson was 50 years old when he was killed in action at the battle of Pozieres on 7 August 1916 and he is commemorated on the Villers-Brettoneux Memorial." - SOURCE (www.awm.gov.au)
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"On 7 August Lt John Cosson DCM was killed instantly by shellfire while the 48th Battalion were sustaining a German counter attack. A Private D. B. Green wrote to Jack’s brother that he had been told that a "Private A McPherson No.4672 48th Battalion was looking over the top of the trench. About 5 o’clock a.m. he saw something moving and going on, and he then saw your brother with about seven of his own men with ten German prisoners. They came into the trench, and Jack sent his men back with the prisoners, as they were then in our lines. He had a chat to the fellows in the trench and then made his way into the battalion lines and about one hour after he was killed. I don’t think there is an officer in the Australian Army loved better by his men or more game. I believe his mates say that he did not know what fear was, and most of those fellows belonging to his battalion did not know him before. You can tell his wife and children that he was a soldier.” - SOURCE (www.anzacfremantle.com.au)
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