COUSENS, Harry Myers
| Service Number: | QX11364 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 22 July 1940 |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 2nd/15th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Charters Towers, Queensland, Australia, 15 September 1914 |
| Home Town: | Ingham, Hinchinbrook, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer, Sugar Cane Nursery Man and then Cane Grower |
| Died: | Septicaemia, Trebonne, Queensland, Australia, 18 January 2006, aged 91 years |
| Cemetery: |
New Ingham Cemetery, Qld Section 1 Lawn Cemetery Plot 3 |
| Memorials: |
World War 2 Service
| 22 Jul 1940: | Involvement QX11364 | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Jul 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Corporal, QX11364, 2nd/15th Infantry Battalion | |
| 22 Jul 1940: | Enlisted | |
| 22 Jul 1940: | Enlisted Private, QX11364, From his service record held by the Australian National Archives, Harry enlisted in Townsville. Was living in Ingham and gave his occupation as a farmer. Next of Kin was his father Harry Richmond Cousens. Initially a Private in the 2/15th Battalion but promoted to Corporal on 10 December 1942. Description as 5'8" with a fair complexion, fair hair and grey eyes. | |
| 3 Feb 1941: | Involvement Private, QX11364, Middle East / Mediterranean Theatre, From Harry's service record held by the Australian National Archives, he served in the Middle East and sustained a gun shot wound to his right chest on 11 April 1941. He left the Middle East on 26 January 1943 returning to Sydney and then Queensland. | |
| 10 Dec 1942: | Promoted Corporal, Harry Myers Cousens was promoted to Corporal on this date according to his service record held by the Australian National Archives. | |
| 4 Aug 1943: | Involvement Corporal, QX11364, Milne Bay - Papua New Guinea WW2, Corporal Harry Myers Cousens was in the 2/15th Battalion who were deployed to Milne Bay in August 1943. The Battalion saw action at Scarlet Beach, Finschhafen and the Bumi River. An article in the Townsville Daily Bulletin of Friday 28 January 1944 on TROVE in relation to the Military Medal awarded to Corporal Cousens gave details of the incident. The report stated that 'when a forward section came under heavy fire from a village on the Bumi River, Cousens, whose section gave covering fire to a forward section, advanced to bring back the forward section leader who was not then known to have been killed. Cousens was wounded in this action'. From his service record held by the Australian National Archives, Harry sustained a gun shot wound to his right elbow. He was hospitalised in New Guinea before being transferred to Queensland on 24 November 1943. | |
| 1 Feb 1944: | Honoured Military Medal, Milne Bay - Papua New Guinea WW2, From his service record held by the Australian National Archives, Harry was awarded the Military Medal on 1 February 1944 for his actions at the Bumi River during the advance on Finschhafen. | |
| 20 Oct 1944: | Discharged Corporal, QX11364, Served in 2/15 Battalion. Discharged due to gunshot wound to right elbow which left him with 50% effective use of his right arm. | |
| 20 Oct 1944: | Discharged | |
| 20 Oct 1944: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Corporal, QX11364, 2nd/15th Infantry Battalion |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Ian Cousens
Harry Myers Cousens was the 3rd son of Harry Richmond Cousens and his wife Sophy Amelia Meyers. His 2nd Christian name was originally spelt Meyers in records but over the years has become Myers. He was born in Charters Towers on 15 September 1919. From the 1936 Electoral Rolls, Harry was a labourer of Ingham. He enlisted in the 2/15 Infantry Battalion on 22 July 1940 in Townsville. The Battalion served in the Middle East and then at Milne Bay. Harry was wounded on 24 September 1943 during the advance on Finschafen but details of his injuries are unknown. He was nominated fir the Militay Medal due to his conduct and leadership under fire during this advance. Harry held the rank of Corporal when he was discharged on 20 October 1944 due to injuries which limited the use of his right arm.
From the 1954 Electoral Rolls, Harry was married to Rose and they were living at Macknade. He was a sugar cane nurseryman. By the time of his brother Cecil's death in 1981 Harry was a cane grower of Lucinda. Harry died on Scepticaemia on 18 January 2006 in the Canossa Home, Trebonne. He was 91. His wife Rose had died on 20 June 1989. They were buried in Section 1 of the Lawn Division of the New Ingham Cemetery - Harry in plot 3 and Rose in Plot 4.
Harry's father, Harry Richmond Cousens, served with the 4th and 6th Imperial Bushmen in the Boer War. His siblings Cecil, Stanley, Louis and Lucy all enlisted for service in WWII. Two other relatives, Sydney Leake Cousens and Stanley Clifford Cousens who were his father's 1/2 brothers, were KIA in WWI. Harry was also related to Joseph Arthur Cousens QX1766 of the 2/12 Battalion.
Biography contributed by Ian Cousens
Precis of Service History
22 Jul 1940 Enlisted 2nd AIF WW 2, Private, SN QX11364, From his service record held by the Australian National Archives, Harry enlisted in Townsville. Was living in Ingham and gave his occupation as a farmer. Next of Kin was his father Harry Richmond Cousens. Initially a Private in the 2/15th Battalion but promoted to Corporal on 10 December 1942. Description as 5'8" with a fair complexion, fair hair and grey eyes.
3 Feb 1941 Involvement Private, SN QX11364, Middle East / Mediterranean Theatre
10 Dec 1942 Promoted 2nd AIF WW 2, Corporal, Harry Myers Cousens was promoted to Corporal on this date according to his service record held by the Australian National Archives.
4 Aug 1943 Involvement 2nd AIF WW 2, Corporal, SN QX11364, Papua New Guinea - Milne Bay
20 Oct 1944 Discharged 2nd AIF WW 2, Corporal, SN QX11364, Served in 2/15 Battalion. Discharged due to gunshot wound to right elbow which left him with 50% effective use of his right arm.
1 Feb 1944 Honoured Military Medal, Papua New Guinea - Milne Bay, From his service record held by the Australian National Archives, Harry was awarded the Military Medal on 1 February 1944 for his actions at the Bumi River during the advance on Finschhafen.
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