CASHIN, Roy Henry
| Service Number: | 59 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Unit: | 1st Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train |
| Born: | Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia, 19 May 1895 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | St Mary's Cathedral School, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Electrical Branch of NSW Railways |
| Died: | Wounds, Etaples, France, 5 November 1917, aged 22 years |
| Cemetery: |
Etaples Military Cemetery |
| Memorials: | Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 4 Jun 1915: | Involvement 59, 1st Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '24' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Macquarie embarkation_ship_number: A39 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Jun 1915: | Embarked 59, 1st Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train, HMAT Port Macquarie, Melbourne |
Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
Roystone (Roy) Henry CASHIN was born on 19 May 1895 at Darlinghurst, NSW and attended St Mary’s (Cathedral) School. Roy’s military records show he joined the Royal Australian Naval Reserve (RANR) in 1910. He was also a professional singer and musician.
Roy joined the NSWGR&T twice. The first time was on 7 November 1910 when he was employed as an Office Lad in the Tramways Traffic Branch at Sydney, but he resigned his position on 4 September 1911. The second time he joined was on 30 April 1913 when he was employed as a probationer in the Electrical Branch of the Railways. On 15 August 1914 he was released to join the Expeditionary Force.
Between 10 and 18 August 1914 (shortly after the outbreak of WW I) a small volunteer force, the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (ANMEF), was raised to seize and destroy German wireless stations in German New Guinea. Roy was one of approximately 500 naval reservists and ex-sailors who joined this force, which also included one battalion of infantry. Actions this force was involved in included the Battle of Bita Paka (near Rabaul) and the occupation of Rabaul in September 1914, which led to the surrender of the Germans in New Guinea. Roy was rated as an Able Seaman and he stayed with the AN&MEF for seven months.
On 10 March 1915, at Rushcutters Bay Naval Depot, Roy enlisted in the 1st Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train (1st RANBT). He was rated as an Officers’ Steward (Service Number 59N). A note on his Form of Engagement states ‘Defect in height and chest. Passed as special case as had good record in New Guinea’.
The 1st RANBT was formed of 300 naval reservists, including 50 men who had recently served in New Guinea, as an engineering unit retaining naval ranks and rating but organised along Army lines. The unit left Melbourne aboard HMAT A39 ‘Port Macquarie’ for Egypt on 4 June 1915. After arrival in Egypt in July 1915 the unit was sent to Gallipoli to provide logistical support to the British landings at Suvla Bay. When the British evacuated Suvla Bay in December 1915, 50 RANBT men remained behind to support the British rear-guard, and so became the last Australians to leave Gallipoli.
Roy returned to Egypt on 20 January 1916. After his return he had a number of health problems, including malaria. Altogether, he spent just over a month in hospital due to illnesses during 1916.
In December 1916, the 1st RANBT provided 50 men to support amphibious landings to seize the Turkish coastal town of El Arish, by building a pier which could be used to land supplies. Roy was one of the 50 men.
On 3 October 1917, Roy was wounded in action at Passchendaele. On 8 October 1917 he was transferred to the 1st Canadian General Hospital at Etaples, France, suffering multiple gunshot wounds, broken arms and amputated right leg. He died of his wounds on 5 November 1917 and his grave is in the Etaples Military Cemetery, Etaples, Nord Pas de Calais, France.
Submitted 20 May 2023 by John Oakes
Biography contributed by John Oakes
Roystone (Roy) Henry CASHIN was born on 19th May 1895 at Darlinghurst, NSW. He attended St Mary’s (Cathedral) School in Sydney. Roy’s military records show that he joined the Royal Australian Naval Reserve (RANR) in 1910. He was also a professional singer and musician.
Roy joined the NSW Government Railways and Tramways twice. The first time was on 7th November 1910. He was employed as an Office Lad in the Tramways Traffic Branch in Sydney. He resigned from that job on 4th September 1911. The second time was on 30th April 1913. This time he was employed as a probationer in the Electrical Branch of the Railways. On 15th August 1914 he was released to join the Expeditionary Force.
Between the 10th and 18th August 1914 (shortly after the outbreak of WW I) a small volunteer force, known as the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (ANMEF), was formed for the purpose of seizing and destroying German wireless stations in German New Guinea. Roy was one of approximately 500 naval reservists and ex-sailors who joined this force. The ANMEF also included one battalion of infantry. Actions that the ANMEF was involved in included the Battle of Bita Paka (near Rabaul) and the occupation of Rabaul in September 1914. This led to the surrender of the Germans in New Guinea. Roy was rated as an Able Seaman and he stayed with the ANMEF for seven months.
On 10th March 1915, at Rushcutters Bay Naval Depot, Roy enlisted in the 1st Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train (1st RANBT). He was rated as an Officers’ Steward (Service Number 59N). A note on his Form of Engagement states ‘Defect in height and chest. Passed as special case as had good record in New Guinea’. In this form he gave his date of birth as 19th May 1894 and he nominated his mother, Agnes Cashin, as his next of kin. While he was serving with the 1st RANBT he was promoted to the rank of Able Seaman Driver on 25th April 1916.
The 1st RANBT was formed of 300 naval reservists. It included 50 men who had recently served in New Guinea. It was an engineering unit that retained naval ranks and rating but was organised along Army lines. The unit left Melbourne aboard HMAT A39 ‘Port Macquarie’ for Egypt on 4th June 1915. After arrival in Egypt in July 1915 the unit was sent to Gallipoli to provide logistical support to the British landings at Suvla Bay. When the British evacuated Suvla Bay in December 1915, 50 RANBT men remained behind to support the British rear-guard. Its members became the last Australians to leave Gallipoli.
Roy returned to Egypt on 20th January 1916. After his return he had a number of health problems, including malaria. He spent just over a month in hospital due to illnesses during 1916.
In December 1916, the 1st RANBT provided 50 men (including Roy) to support amphibious landings to seize the Turkish coastal town of El Arish. The purpose was to build a pier which could be used to land supplies.
Men from the RANBT also participated in the abortive First Battle of Gaza. Following complaints raised in Federal Parliament about the non-combatant work being done by the men, the unit was officially disbanded on 27th March 1917.
On the next day, 28th March 1917, Roy transferred to the Artillery as a Gunner (retaining his Service No. 59N). He was sent to England where he arrived on 14th May 1917 for training. On completing his training, he was sent to France. He left Southampton on 21st August 1917. In France he was attached to the 5th Division Artillery on 24th August 1917. On 28th August 1917 he joined the 13th Australian Field Artillery Brigade and was posted to their 50th Battery.
On 3rd October 1917, Roy was wounded in action at Passchendaele. On 8th October 1917 he was transferred to the 1st Canadian General Hospital at Etaples, France. He was suffering multiple gunshot wounds, broken arms and an amputated right leg. He died of his wounds on 5th November 1917. His grave is in the Etaples Military Cemetery, Etaples, Nord Pas de Calais, France. His mother, who by then was living in Liverpool Street in Sydney, was awarded a dependant’s pension of £2 per fortnight starting from 11th January 1918.
- based on notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
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