Cecil Henry HUSBAND

Cecil Henry HUSBAND Update Details

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HUSBAND, Cecil Henry

Service Number:	9892
Enlisted:	21 March 1916
Last Rank:	Sapper
Last Unit:	9th Field Company Engineers
Born:	Not yet discovered
Home Town:	Not yet discovered
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Not yet discovered
Died:	Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia, 17 February 1973, cause of death not yet discovered, age not yet discovered
Cemetery:	Not yet discovered
Memorials:	Sydney Technical High School WW1 Roll Of Honour

World War 1 Service

21 Mar 1916:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 9892, 9th Field Company Engineers
5 Jul 1916:	Involvement Sapper, 9892, 9th Field Company Engineers, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ajana embarkation_ship_number: A31 public_note: ''
5 Jul 1916:	Embarked Sapper, 9892, 9th Field Company Engineers, HMAT Ajana, Sydney

Help us honour Cecil Henry Husband's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Sydney Technical High School

Cecil Henry Husband was born in Drummoyne NSW on the 22 of February 1896. Cecil Henry Husband in a Presbyterian family of five, residing on Wentworth Street, Eastwood. Husband began his high school journey in 1908 attending Fort Street High School and then Sydney Technical High School in his later years. (4) Husband was one of the brighter students in Sydney Tech, finishing 4th overall in his class of 31. He excelled in the majority of his subjects, scoring well in Geometry, Algebra, English and History. (5) After High School, Husband began working as a carpenter and apprenticed for two years at State Timber Yards. (6). In 1914 his three year old brother (Clive Husband) had passed away

Husband's attempt to enlist was initially rejected due to his chest measurements (7) (30-33 inches). This was due to Husband’s small frame as he stood at 5 foot 1, (155cm) weighing roughly 110lbs (50kg). (8) Husband enlisted once again on the 21st of March, 1916 at Roseberry Park and was accepted. (9) After vigorous and continuous training, Cecil Henry Husband would leave behind his parents, sisters and younger brother, embarking with The 9th Field Company Engineers on board HMAT A31 Ajana on the 5th of July, 1916. (10)

Henry Husband’s unit played a crucial role in the war, performing various tasks such as mapping as well as undertaking specialised tunneling and mining operations. His rank on enlistment was a sapper, highlighting Husband’s expertise in engineering and his completion of the course. The main job of a sapper consisted of digging trenches in order to advance towards the enemy. (11) The following quote from the Virtual War Memorial Australia describes the role of Mr. Husband’s unit in the war, “They undertook a broad range of tasks including preparation and supervision of the construction of defensive and gun positions, excavation of trenches and dugouts, erection of wire and other obstacles, preparation of command posts, signalling and water supply, field engineering, road and bridge construction and route maintenance.”. (12)

Throughout the war, Husband would go on leave a total of four times on the following dates; 08/12/17, 16/12/17, 25/02/18, 16/03/18. (13) He was wounded in battle on the 23rd of July, 1917, suffering from slight gassing and rejoined his unit 31/8/1917. (15)

World War One ended on the 11th of November, 1918 and Cecil Henry Husband returned to Australia about 8 months later on the 12th of June, 1919. (17) He would soon marry Eulalia Mcnamara in 1920. (18) A couple years later, Mr. Husband would mourn the death of his mother, Mary Baxter as she passed away on the 19th of February, 1931 in Eastwood NSW. (19) Cecil Henry Husband father, Henry Husband, passed away on the 12th of May, 1941 in Ryde NSW. (20) Cecil Husband passed away in Port Macquarie on the 17th of February 1973, just 5 days before his 77th birthday. (21)

Bibliography:

Ken Stevenson, Research on Google Drive
Australian war memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1780272
Virtual War Memorial Australia: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/94632
NationalArchivesAustralia:https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=6928282&isAv=N
https://tinyurl.com/3btf8nkv

Endnotes:

Virtual War Memorial Australia https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/94632
AIF Project, UNSW: https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=147965
Virtual War Memorial Australia https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/94632
PTE Cecil Henry HUSBAND 9892
Technical High school 1912 Results Sheet
PTE Cecil Henry HUSBAND 9892
Ibid
Description of HUSBAND Cecil Henry on enlistment
PTE Cecil Henry HUSBAND 9892
Ibid
Ibid
Virtual War Memorial Australia https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/302
Leave Of Absence Certificate
AIF Project, UNSW: https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=147965
Army Form B.103
AIF Project, UNSW: https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=147965
Army Form B.103-11, Part 11
PTE Cecil Henry HUSBAND 9892
Ibid
Ibid
Virtual War Memorial Australia https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/94632
Technical High school 1912 Results Sheet
AIF Project, UNSW: https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=147965
Ibid
Virtual War Memorial Australia https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/94632

Salman Rasool - Sydney Technical High School - 2024

Lest We Forget