Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

In 1914, on the 19th of August, twenty-five-year-old Horace Donald Cosgrove enlisted in the Australian Army as a Private, bound for the first World War. Born in 1989, he worked as a butcher and religiously had a Methodist faith.

Horace was the one of four brothers that enlisted in the army. Harold Donald Cosgrove was the youngest, a Driver in the 53rd Infantry Battalion. Like his brother, he was butcher before enlisting. Harold passed away in 1933 after drowning at Port Elliot, South Australia while fishing.

Leslie George Cosgrove was the middle brother and a Private in the 50th Infantry Battalion. He was killed in action at Passchendaele, Ypres, Belgium in October 1917 at the age of 23.

Horace’s brother Stewart enlisted on the 9th of August 1915 and was a motor mechanic. He died at the age of 45 in Adelaide and is buried with Horace. These boys were the sons of Ellen Cosgrove and lived with their mother at Lorne Avenue, Magill South Australia.

After leaving from Port Lincoln onboard the HMAT A17 on the 22nd of October 1914 with the 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Horace Donald Cosgrove arrived in Egypt. His regiment joined the 1st and 2nd Light Horse Regiments to form the 1st Light Horse Brigade. The Brigade landed in Gallipoli and the 12th of May 1915, joining the rest of the ANZAC’s. Here, Horace’s regiment was in a defensive role and in reserve for the 1st and 2nd regiments who were attacking offensively. He left Gallipoli on the 14th of December 1915 and returned to Egypt. As part of the Mounted Division, they were largely responsible for turning back Turkish attacks at the Battle of Romani.

In 1916, Horace was taken on strength to the 4th Australian Camel Regiment. This Regiment was comprised of recruits from the recovering battalions after Gallipoli. Eventually, four battalions were formed and they worked to stop the revolt of pro-Turkish Senussi tribesmen in the Western Desert in Egypt. They patrolled and participated in some small encounters until they were transferred to the Sinai desert and fought alongside the Australian Light Horse Regiments, against the Turkish army. They were an effective Regiment, however, after heavy loss of men in the Second Battle of Gaza, the Imperial Camel Corps were abandoned and the Australians in these units were used to form the 14th and 15th Light Horse Regiments.

Horace Donald Cosgrove was transferred to the 15th LHR. His Regiment was part of the 5th Light Horse Brigade, and the Australian Mounted Division, which had only one major operation. On the 19th of September 1918 in the Battle of Megiddo, British infantry opened a gap in the Turkish front. This allowed the Mounted Forces to go deep into the Turkish front, causing great destruction. The Turkish front eventually collapsed and retreated, Australian troops and aircraft in close pursuit. In 10 days, the 5th LHB advanced over 650km of Turkish land. After Turkey surrendered, Horace sailed home with his regiment on the 24th of July 1919.

Horace Donald had a number of trips to hospital throughout the years he was at war. While training in Egypt he was admitted to the No 2 Australian Auxillery Hospital in Cairo. His admission was due to dysentery and shock, a common illness due to the poor hygiene of the soldiers that caused numerous deaths. He was transferred to a Convalescent Hospital in Helouan and then to Zeitoun, Egypt.

In late July 1917, Horace was to again, visit the hospital. On the 23rd he was taken by the International Camel Corps Field Ambulance in Sheikh Numran and admitted the following day to No 2 Australian Stationary Hospital in El Arish. Here he was treated for and cured of Venereal Disease Gonorrhea. STD’s became very widespread among the Australian soldiers training in Egypt. Lots of men were sent home because of this, before they even got to Gallipoli, much to their superior’s annoyance. Horace was discharged from hospital on the 2nd of October 1917.

It was in 1918 on the 29th of March that Horace was wounded in action and had to be evacuated sick. He was admitted to the 45th Stationary Hospital with a gunshot wound to the left wrist. He was taken to a rest camp in Abbassia and transferred to Port Said. After also being treated for Perianal Abscess (infection), he was discharged on the 14th of July 1918. 

During his time in the army, Horace displayed many qualities of the ANZAC Spirit. Therefore, his commitment and dedication was rewarded with a number of medals to recognize his service. One was the Australian Victory Medal, which was awarded to those who served during the First World War. The second, a British War Medal, instituted by King George V in 1919 to mark the end of World War 1. It rewarded those who left their places of residence and travelled overseas to serve during periods of war.

Horace Donald Cosgrove was officially discharged from services on the 23rd of February 1919 after a total of four years and 189 days of service. He passed away at the age of forty-nine and was buried on the 17th of September 1936. His grave can be found with his brother Stuart's at plot number 353, in the Magill Cemetery, Adelaide South Australia. 

Bibliography-

The First World War 1 : to arms 2003, DVD, Clickview, Australia  http://online.clickview.com.au/mylibrary/videos/8fea8921-d62c-efa7-fd71-b3be8b246835

Australian War Memorial, ID number: H18510, accessed 15 March 2016https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/H18510/

Defence Honours & Awards, Commonwealth of Australia 2016, accessed 15 March 2016 http://www.defence.gov.au/Medals/Imperial/WWI/British-War-Medal-1914-20.asp

15th Australian Light Horse Regiment 2011, Australian War Memorial, accessed 15 March 2016, https://www.awm.gov.au/unit/U51049/

3rd Australian Light Horse Regiment 2011, Australian War Memorial, accessed 15 March 2016,  https://www.awm.gov.au/unit/U51037/

The Imperial Camel Corps 2014, Video, Australian War Memorial, Australia. Gabrielle Considine

Cosgrove Horace Donald : SERN 119, National Archives of Australia, accessed 1 April 2016,  http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=3425321&isAv=N