Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Born in January 1898 in Fremantle, Western Australia, Cyril Arthur Alfred Bushell was an Australian soldier who served his country in both World War I and World War II. 21 year old labourer Cyril, with brown hair, and blue eyes, standing at 5'7" and weighing 57 kg, enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on January 21, 1916, at Adelaide, South Australia. 

Given the service number 2570, he joined the 9th Light Horse Regiment as a Private. Cyril departed Australia on HMAT Katuna from Adelaide and was taken on strength in Moascar 10th August 1916.

The regiment advanced to the Palestine frontier in December of 1916, where they had a strong mission to secure key Turkish outposts. Conspicuously, the regiment worked on capturing the Turk’s position at Maghdaba on the 23rd of December and Rafa on the 9th of January 1917. The next crucial challenge these men took part in was the stronghold of Gaza, which was a big mission in the broader campaign. Cyril then became part of the 3rd Lighthorse Bridge which was formed by men from the 7th, 8th, and 9th light horse regiments, this newly formed brigade took part in two main battles for Gaza – on the 27th of March and the 19th of April 1917.

The climax of the operation was on October 31st, 1917, when the men of the 3rd Lighthorse Brigade played a major part in the successful outflanking mission through Beersheba which led to the final downfall of Gaza. Following the achievements of these men, they proceeded to play a major role in the capture of Jerusalem, which came to an end in December 1917.

In the early parts of May 1918, Cyril and his fellow soldiers took part in a failed mission, of raiding the Turkish stronghold of Es Salt. Although this mission wasn’t completed as the soldiers had hoped, it provided them with insight into the allied forces, which showed the soldiers that one of the next crucial offensive attacks would most likely take place across Jordan.

The start of Cyril's new chapter in his military service began on July 1st 1918, when he became part of the 14th Lighthorse Regiment. This new regiment had recently been formed the month prior in the early parts of June 1918, as part of a mission that saw the camel corps remounted with horses. A new brigade, the 5th Lighthorse Brigade, was also formed that was created from the 14th and 15th light horse regiments including a regiment of French colonial cavalry.

As this regiment was formed closer to the end of the war they only took part in one major battle, the battle of Megiddo, which occurred on the 19th of September 1918. This battle was a crucial moment in the ongoing battle against the Ottoman Empire. After a successful push by the British infantry, that widened a space on the Turkish front north of Jaffa, mounted forces, including those from the Cyril’s regiment, were able to go in deep behind enemy forces. They severed, important infrastructure such as railways roads and communication links, which left a major effect on the Ottoman Empire, weakening their forces. When the Turkish front collapsed, the reiterating troops were accompanied by mounted units who were supported by aircraft which marked a crucial event in the war.

As the ten days went after the Battle of Megiddo, Cyril alongside his companions of the 14th light Hotse regiment, managed to cover a bewildering 650 kilometres. Following close by on October 1t 1918, they entered Damascus, where the regiment was stationed for the remainder of most of October, where took part in mopping-up operations and many other duties. The soldiers continued to move forward and took part in the drive toward Aleppo, but before these men could reach the next part of their mission, Turkey surrendered on the 30th of October 1918, bringing a partial end to the war in that stationed region.

While Cyril and his comrades, were getting ready to end their service and head home, they were, without notice, called to serve again. In the days of March 1919, another attack had broken out in Egypt. The men of the 14th Lighthorse Regiment alongside other men in other light horse units were deployed to withhold the uprising battle. This unprepared mission took over a month to restore order and once the men had finished, they finally got the all-clear to sail back home to Australia. Cyril returned to Adelaide 23rd August 1919 and was discharged 9th January 1920.

At the start of January, on 9th 1920, Cyril Arthur Alfred Bushell’s military service ended when he was discharged as medically unfit due to malaria, which he had contracted during his time-fighting in World War 1. After Cyril returned home, he began to learn what life was like beyond the military.

At the end of that same year, shortly after Christmas, Cyril and his partner Mary Elizabeth Isabella Camis, welcome their first son, John Frederick Bushell, into their worlds. John was born on December 29th 1920, in Hindmarsh South Australia.

That next year on the 18th of July 1921, Cyril and Mary married in Norwood South Australia.             

Following the outbreak of World War Two Cyril Arthur Alfred Bushell once again answered the call to serve his country. On the 14th of January 1941, he re-enlisted in the Australian military forces as a lieutenant, and for the following two years, Cyril served with distinction, as a lieutenant, making an impact in the war in a newfound capacity.

His service endured only 2 years when he was discharged on the 6th of May 1943. Cyril’s son son John Frederick Bushell, also who served during WW2 from 1941 to 1944.

After a 33-year marriage, Cyril passed away on January 24, 1955, at the age of 55, in South Australia. His wife, Mary Elizabeth Isabel Bushell, passed away on January 30th, 1975, at the age of 76.

Bibliography

Ancestry.com.au

https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/68

https://vwma.org.au/explore/projects/173961/edit?t=1743133292342

National Archives of Australia.

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P11080290

https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/veteran?id=703549&c=WW2

https://www.myheritage.com/names/cyril_bushell