Morton Leslie COCKSHELL

Morton Leslie COCKSHELL Update Details

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COCKSHELL, Morton Leslie

Service Number:	3643
Enlisted:	27 September 1915
Last Rank:	Private
Last Unit:	27th Infantry Battalion
Born:	Manoora, South Australia, 24 July 1893
Home Town:	Bowhill, South Australia
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Farmer
Died:	Suicide, Winkie, South Australia, 31 October 1928, aged 35 years
Cemetery:	Berri Cemetery, S.A.
Memorials:	Bowhill War Memorial, Mannum District Roll of Honor, Walker Flat Forster & District War Memorial

World War 1 Service

27 Sep 1915:	Enlisted AIF WW1
12 Jan 1916:	Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3643, 27th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Borda embarkation_ship_number: A30 public_note: ''
12 Jan 1916:	Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3643, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Borda, Adelaide
Date unknown:	Wounded 3643, 10th Infantry Battalion
Date unknown:	Involvement 27th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières

Help us honour Morton Leslie Cockshell's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by tony griffin

John David Cockshell farmed in the Waterloo area. He was the youngest son of John Cockshell of Waterloo and married Sarah Jane Aird at Waterloo on 4 July 1888. Their three sons served in World War 1. The eldest son, 2004 Gunner Sydney David Cockshell, 4th Heavy Trench Mortar Battery, was born at Waterloo. He was killed in action in France on 3 May 1917. The youngest son, 3860 Private John Milton Aird Cockshell, was born at Bowhill and served in France with the 48th Infantry Battalion. John and Sarah left Waterloo to farm at Bowhill in 1894 when their middle son Morton was about 1 year old.

Born in Manoora, Morton was a 22 year old farmer at Bowhill when he enlisted in Adelaide on 27 September 1915. He was initially appointed to D Company 2nd Depot Battalion. In mid November he was posted to 14th Reinforcements 10th Infantry Battalion but embarked as a standby with 8th Reinforcements 27th Battalion aboard HMAT A30 Borda from Adelaide on 12 January 1916. After landing in Egypt Morton was transferred back to 10th Battalion at Serapeum. Within a month he had embarked from Alexandria aboard RMS Saxonia and disembarked at Marseilles on 3 April 1916. On 10 May Morton was admitted to 7th General Hospital with mumps and after being discharged on 31 May rejoined his unit at St Omar.

It was only two months later at Pozieres where Morton received a gunshot wound to his left leg. He was admitted to the St Johns Ambulance Brigade at Etaples and within three weeks had been released to the 1st Australian Division Base Depot. On 19 August he rejoined his battalion in the field. The 10th Battalion was in the front line when it made an advance north of Louverval on 9 April 1917. Morton was one of the forty casualties the battalion suffered in this engagement. Taken from the field by the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance to 9th Casualty Clearing Station he was admitted to 11th Stationary Hospital with a gunshot wound to his right knee and a fractured femur. On 10 July Morton embarked on the hospital ship HMHS Western Australia for England where he was admitted to the 1st London General Hospital at Camberwell. Two months later he was transferred to 3rd Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford where he stayed for five weeks before returning to Australia on the hospital ship HMHS Karoola. It was probably at Dartford that Morton met a young English girl Ida Speake who he would return to England to marry in 1921. Morton disembarked in Melbourne on 11 January 1918 and travelled overland to Adelaide. With an excision of his right knee he was no longer fit for duty and was discharged on 15 March 1918. Morton had served for 2 years and 170 days with 2 years abroad.

Morton took up a soldier settler block at Winkie but, incapacitated as the result of his wounds, would tragically take his own life in 1928

Biography

Son of John and Sarah Jane (nee Aird) Cockshell of Bowilla.

Returned to Australia 25 November 1917

Elder brother 2004 Gunner Sydney David Cockshell (4th Heavy Trench Mortar Battery) killed in action in France on 3 May 1917.

Younger brother 3860 Private John Milton Cockshell served with 48th Battalion.

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