CURTIN, Cornelius Joseph
| Service Number: | 4092 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 10 November 1915, Sydney, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 14th Field Artillery Brigade |
| Born: | Berrima, New South Wales, 1894 |
| Home Town: | Exeter, Port Adelaide Enfield, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Bathurst Christian Brothers School |
| Occupation: | Draper |
| Died: | Died of wounds, France, 18 August 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Bathurst War Memorial Carillon |
World War 1 Service
| 10 Nov 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4092, Sydney, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Mar 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4092, 17th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Star of England embarkation_ship_number: A15 public_note: '' | |
| 8 Mar 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 4092, 17th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Star of England, Sydney | |
| 18 Aug 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 4092, 14th Field Artillery Brigade , "The Last Hundred Days", --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 4092 awm_unit: 14th Australian Field Artillery Brigade awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1918-08-18 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Hana Thomson
Cornelius Joseph Curtin was born in 1894 in the town of Berrima, New South Wales. His parents were William J. Curtin and Elizabeth Curtin. He was schooled at Bathurst Christian Brothers Schoo1. His occupation up until the age of 21 was draper.
On the 10th of November 1915, Cornelius enlisted in Sydney, NSW. Although his parents were there with him in NSW he still enlisted without the signature or consent of his parents. On the 17th of November, Cornelius’s first day of service commenced. His first rank being a private in the 17th Infantry Battalion. On the 8th of March 1916, this battalion travelled on the HMAT Star of England to Egypt; where they arrived at Tel-El-Kebir, a city around the north-east Egypt. In Tel-El-Kebir, on the 17th of April, Cornelius was transferred to artillery in the 5th Divisional Ammunition Column. His rank at the time was gunner. A month later he was officially promoted to bombardier.
With the new promotion, Cornelius transferred to the (BEF) British Expeditionary Force on the 18th of June in the city of Alexandria. Later embarking for France on the 29th of June. Arriving in France, Cornelius was temporally promoted to corporal, then back to a bombardier. Later his final rank was as a permanent Corporal. He then fought in the Mortar Sohl Trench as part of the ANZAC troops. Around the 26th of August Cornelius was on command at the 2nd Army Artillery School. He was given leave to the UK but ended up staying in France.
The final transfer for Cornelius was to the 14th Field Artillery Brigade on the 3rd of December. Whilst still fighting in France, Cornelius was severely injured with a fractured right leg and arm. On the 8th of August 1918 Cornelius was evacuated, still injured, to Boulogne-Sur-Mer. Later that month on the 18th of August 1918 Cornelius died of the wounds he received at the age of 24. He was buried at Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille, Pas de Calais, France. Cemetery/memorial reference: II. D. 3.
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