Cassim ('Cass' / "The Indian Digger") MAHOMET

MAHOMET, Cassim

Service Number: 7036
Enlisted: 27 October 1916, Adelaide, South Australia
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 10th Infantry Battalion
Born: Wee Waa, New South Wales, 24 July 1896
Home Town: Iron Knob, South Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Acrobat, Singer, Songwriter and Vaudeville Artist
Died: Natural causes, Aukland, New Zealand, 16 November 1955, aged 59 years
Cemetery: Not yet discovered
Memorials: Iron Knob WW1 Roll of Honour , Iron Knob War Memorial
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World War 1 Service

27 Oct 1916: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 7036, Adelaide, South Australia
16 Dec 1916: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 7036, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Berrima embarkation_ship_number: A35 public_note: ''
16 Dec 1916: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 7036, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Berrima, Adelaide
2 May 1920: Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 7036, 10th Infantry Battalion
Date unknown: Wounded 7036, 10th Infantry Battalion

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Biography contributed by Robert Kearney

"REFEREES WANTED

Cassim Mahomet, a well-known circus identity, in Australia, writes from a Blighty-bound trooper as follows:—

"Being a constant reader of the good old Referee, I thought I would drop you a line to inform you that quite a crowd of my battalion, would be very thankful for a few copies from your many readers. I can assure you the good old Ref. is eagerly looked for by all the boys. The wireless doesn't give us the results of Saturday night fights in Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane, so you can guess what The Referee would mean to us. Before enlisting I was a member of the original Mahomet Troupe, who arrived in Australia with Abel and Clair's big three-ring show quite a while back. Any papers sent by your readers, if they are forwarded to the address below, will be distributed all round — No. 7036, Lance'-Cpl. Cassim Mahomet, 23rd Reinforcements, 10th Battalion, A.I.F., On Active Service.

P.S.— During the voyage we had quite a number of boxing contests. Although they were thoroughly enjoyed by all and helped to break the monotony of the long trip, we never unearthed any champions'." - from the Sydney Referee 18 Apr 1917 (nla.gov.au)

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"The Referee in France

Cassim Mahomet of the 10th Battalion, A.I.F., writes from Somewhere in France (20/6/'17): 'A line to let you know that my appeal through the theatrical columns of your valuable Referee, asking some of your many readers to send along any copies of the Referee, has met with a ready response. Immediately after the appeal appeared a score or more Referees were posted me. And I am pleased that most of the senders have stated their intention of forwarding copies every week. So you can just imagine that there's going to be quite a rush for Referees when the next mail bag arrives. It certainly is the paper the boys always look forward to. The copies we have just received are being eagerly scanned by all ranks. It pleases us to know that the folks left at home are always willing to do anything to comfort us. It would take quite a long while to write and thank the senders personally, and I ask you to kindly thank each and every one of them through your columns (which I notice have been the cause of more than one soldier being comforted by appeals appearing in them).

We had a great trip from Ausie to Snowland, and arrived in the land of snow, sleet and slush. The trip was very calm, and we were lucky to escape all the dust storms. After two months' training in Snowland we sailed across here to the old Song and Dance (France). Along with the rest of the boys we are keeping Fritz on the move and doing the goose step. Boxing and vaudeville are well represented over here by pugs, and pros, from all States of Australia. We have clubbed together in different parts of Snowland and France and put up quite a few shows for the amusements of the troops. I saw Johnnie Summers about a month ago at a vaudeville and boxing night, and he looks well. But I am afraid he is a little too fat. Wishing you and the good old 'Yellow 'Un' the best of luck'." from The Sydney Referee 05 Sep 1917 (nla.gov.au)

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Biography contributed by Steve Larkins

Cassim Mahomet (1896-1955)

Australian-born singer (tenor), songwriter, acrobat, raconteur, seer/illusionist, fire-eater, author, troupe proprietor, producer, entrepreneur, administrator. Cassim Mahomet was a truly remarkable personality of his time. The son of Indian circus performers who came to Australia in 1894, he served in the AIF during WW1 and had a long and successful career in a range of entertainment fields and he was an enthusiastic and regular contributor to publications such as 'Reveille' (NSW RSL) and 'Referee'.

The AWM lists his birthdate as 24 July 1896, although there seems to be some conjecture around this date in secondary sources particularly in the Australian Variety Theatre Archive: Research Notes.  Contradictory information appears in a number of documents, in respect of both his birth and death in 1955.  One source lists his place of death as Gladesville NSW but it is apparent that he died in Aukland New Zealand while touring with his wife on 16 November 1955.

Cassim Mahomet claimed to have made his public debut at age four or five.  He and his younger brother Hussen are recorded as working as acrobatic duo for several circuses in 1912. Cassim gradually moved into vaudeville, possibly making his variety debut at Melbourne's People's Concerts in 1913 with Fred Brown (as Mahomet and Brown). Between 1916 and 1919 he served with the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF), and as a result was thereafter known to Australians as "the Indian Digger." Rarely unemployed for long during his career, he also worked in radio and appeared in Pat Hanna's 1933 film Diggers in Blighty. Mahomet promoted his wife "Ranee" (a stage seer) from the mid-1940s onwards. 

Mahomet's other sibling was a sister named Jane (ca. 1901-). Hussen was born ca. 1903. In correspondence with the AVTA, Mahomet's great-nephew, Charles Prasad, identifies their parents as Abdul and Ashibibi Mahomet.

Interestingly, Cassim's enlistment papers record his mother's given name as "Harsharby."

According to Prasad, Abdul Mahomet's brothers were Aramac and Chenanna. "Hyperbad, India was their hometown," he further notes. Abdul and Ashibibi both died while Cassim was serving overseas with the A.I.F.

The Abell and Klaer tour ended in Melbourne due to financial difficulties. Mahomet's parents either decided to or were forced to remain in the country. Abdul is believed to have continued to work in various entertainment formats over the next two decades, while also subsidising their income with alternative work. Cassim records that he began appearing on stage with his father from age four or five. The pair often found work, for example, doing acrobatics at boxing events.

As a circus acrobat, Cassim is also known to have toured with both the Bibby Brothers and Raphael Brothers circuses. His partner in the Mahomet and Brown act was former circus acrobat Fred Brown (aka Frederico).

Mahomet recalls having some trouble in his first three attempts to enlist. At Port Pierie, South Australia he was declined because the officers thought he was aboriginal and in Adelaide he was mistaken for being an enemy subject. "I guess he took me for a Turk," writes Mahomet. In his memoir he further recalls:

Time went on. I gave up my profession as an acrobat and left the circus I was with, going to work in the ironstone quarries at Iron Knob.

I started an amateur concert party, proceeds of which went to the All-British League –the sponsors of a fund farewelling soldiers. Each week I farewelled a mate or two who had enlisted, so I wrote a pleading letter to Currie Street recruiting depot, which sent back a telegram, 'Come and enlist.'

So that weekend I set out for Adelaide, but broke my journey in Snowtown, where, at the showground, there was a huge crowd in front of the circus. Not one among them would accept the challenge to ride the outlaw, 'Moonlight.' Playing the part of a stranger to the circus, I accepted the saddle and went in. Result: a packed house. 'Moonlight' gave me a total eclipse. I arose with a broken hand, and a kindly old doctor there set it buckshee.

At Adelaide I was outed for six weeks. When the hand was right I presented myself again at Currie Street. Many of the officials were anxious to see the fellow who was once taken for an aborigine then a Turk. During the examination the MO said, 'Hop up there on your left leg and back on your right.' I hopped up on my left leg, then did a round of flip flaps and a back somersault, landing about two feet from the MO's table. He said, 'Why didn’t you do that at first? It would have saved a lot of trouble.'

Mahomet's enlistment was apparently against the wishes of his parents.  In so doing he one of a small group of Muslim men to serve with the AIF.  But it is evident that he was certainly the best known.   After departing Australia he spent time in Egypt, France and England. As a member of the 10th Infantry Battalion he fought as a rifle grenadier. Len Kenna and Crystal Jordan further note:

His regimental number was 7036 and he was assigned to the 23/10th Battalion. Private Mahomet embarked on the "Berrima" on the 16th December 1916 from Adelaide, destined for France and in May 1918 was part of the 3rd Brigade, Concert Party that entertained the troops in France and England... Mahomet was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

During the spells out of the line [Mahomet] successfully organised many concert parties, and one of them, "The Boomerangs," became well-known on the Western Front. The original members of that company claimed to have performed regularly closer to the front line than any other - to wit, at Confusion Corner - and they suffered their share of casualties, too.

The Indian was well-known in the 1st Division, often giving battalions a one-man concert, sometimes without even an accompanist.  By war's end Mahomet had risen to the rank of Sergeant Major. After the Armistice he was placed in charge of the brigade concert party at Chatelet, Belgium, for some five months. While there he also performed in some civilian cabaret shows produced by local thespians. Mahomet was then transferred to the Australian Command Deport and No 1 Australian General Hospital at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire.

Of this time he recalled: Arriving in England after the Armistice, I accepted an offer to organise a concert party for headquarters and stayed for seven months on this job. I formed the last soldiers' concert party: 'The Gum Leaves.' We appeared at regular intervals in the provinces, and in camps. One of the last performances was given on the estate of the Duke and Duchess of Somerset.

(extract from Perth's Western Mail - 1930)

 

For comprehensive coverage of this remarkable man's post-war life - see this link  http://ozvta.com/practitioners-m/ (ozvta.com)

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