Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

258 Sergeant Joseph Percy Cutler

10th Light Horse Regiment and 10th Brigade Australian Field Artillery



Joseph Percy Cutler was born on the 10th September 1888, his father also named Joseph, was a solicitor’s clerk. His mother Ada Eliza (nee Wilson 1861-1931) lived at 37 Drakefell Road, Deptford, Kent (now part of London). He had a brother Ernest and a sister Lillian (my paternal grandmother). On the 8th September 1900, his father dies of heart disease and the family lived at 1 Dalmore Road, Lambeth, London and employed a servant by the name of Lillian Spreadbrough.

Joseph, along with his brother and sister, attended Brightlands Preparatory School, Dulwich Common. An original school report from Brightlands Preparatory School dated 27th July 1899 shows that his drill was good and that his singing was very good! Joseph attended James Alleyns School and his sister attended James Alleyn School for girls.

Little more is known of his early life until 1910 when he left for Australia along with two brothers from a family called Forest. They sailed from Liverpool on the S.S Suevio and landed at Cape Town. Photographs show that he played cricket on board and his fellow travellers were Taylor, Hughes, Barker, Sherratt, Miss Macfie and Miss Harris. Then on board the S.S Cevic he travelled to Australia landing in Albany W.A, Adelaide and final disembarking at Melbourne. From here he worked on various farms. Photographs show him sheering at ‘Woorooma’, Edward River (Nr Victoria, Melbourne.) No more is known of the two brothers but Joseph and his friend Bert Bowtell moved and worked his way across Australia ending up in Mullewa, Western Australia (a town on a cross roads 400 miles north of Perth WA). Here he seems to have settled down building a small homestead. He played Australian Rules football and cricket for Mullewa town. He may well have taken advantage of the Homestead Act 1893 where a grant of up to 160 acres of land called the ‘homestead block’ was given with the option of a further 840 acres, on conditions such as fencing and the building of a house within a certain time limit were completed. The freehold of the land would then pass to the farmer. No details of any land can be found but before all the tasks, if this was the case, could be completed, the event which took place in Sarajevo on the 28th June 1914 was to have a dramatic effect on his life.


Joseph’s attestation paper was completed on the 20th October 1914 with the oath of allegiance being dated 8th December, at Guildford, where he became a Trooper in B Squadron (Sqd). The history of the 10 LH shows ‘on the 18th December1914 the Regiment moved from Guildford mounted and fully equipped to Claremount where it was billeted at the Agricultural Society’s Ground. The following day was devoted to military sports with the people of Perth witnessing a fine exhibition of horsemanship in the beautiful show ring (Olden)’. The Regiment also paraded before the Governor at the show ground in December.

After Christmas leave the Regiment marched out of Claremont on the 6th January to embark on the SS Zephyr at Claremount jetty and sailed to Rockingham. This then saw an intensive period of training and the consecration of the Regimental Standard in front of the whole regiment mounted and in review order. By the first week of February the Regiment was back at Claremont and was under order to move overseas. The infantry and artillery of the Austrian Imperial Force (AIF) had left in November 1914 and had been sent or redirected to Egypt. Due to lack of accommodation on the ship C Sqd embarked on the 17th February 1915 on the SS Surada (A59). On the 8th February the Regiment less C Sqd march out of Claremont for the last time and embarked on the British-India ‘Mashbra’ also known as A47.

Colombo was reached on the 21st February where shore parties were allowed. Departure on the 23rd February saw the convey pass into the Suez Cannel arriving in Suez on the 5th March and reaching Alexandria on the 8th March 1915. Disembarkation and a train ride to Cairo followed by a short march. The horses being lead on foot by the men, I assumed following the sea voyage the horses were not fit to be ridden. They arrived at Mena camp in sight of the Pyramids and joined the remainder of the 1st Division AIF, who very soon were to make history on the shores at Gallipoli as the legendary ANZAC Division.

Easter saw the Infantry and Artillery move out leaving behind the mounted troops, another role would be found for them. The landing took place on the 25th April and the 10 LH moved out of Mena on the 27th under orders to move to Heliopolis racecourse. Here Colonel Brazier addressed his Regiment and asked for volunteers to act as dismounted infantry which 100 % of the regiment agreed to. Up to 25% of the Regiment was to remain behind in Egypt to look after the horses, but with reinforcements the 10 LH left Egypt on the North German steamer ‘Lutzow’(A25) on the 16th May for the Aegean.

The recently published 1915 war diaries of the 10 LH show the daily routine on this front; patrolling, digging and repairing of trenches, being sniped at by rifle fire, bombed, or shelled by artillery all the time. The Regiment operated in the area of Pope’s Hill and Quinn’s Post. No mention is made of Joseph as an individual but from the war diaries it can be seen that apart from the hard fighting Turks, the lack of clean water, good food and the heat were beginning to take their toll on the force which had hoped to be in Constantinople by then.

The 1st June saw a move to a bivouac site in Monash Gully after being relived at Pope’s Hill and Quinn’s Post, only to be moved on the 4th June to a reserve position on Walker’s Ridge. With summer now at its height an – ‘epidemic of diarrhoea –flies a regular plague, with medical staff being kept very busy’. The war diaries state that on the 26th June the Regiment took over No 3 sub section of No 4 section B Sqd occupying from cliff to beach.

August saw the controversial attack on the Nek on the morning of the 7th. The main controversy was over the apparent lack of synchronisation of watches. The artillery fire plan was to be from 4.00hrs until 4.30hrs. The watches of the Light Horse showed that the fire plan stopped at 4.23hrs. Leaving a full seven minutes for the Turks to reoccupy their trenches and await the assault. For the next three weeks the Regiment remained in the Russell’s Top trenches under constant artillery bombardment, while they expected a counter attack which did not come. On the 26th August the Regiment (only 180 men) left Russell’s Top with orders to move to Table Top, descending the steep slopes of Walkers Ridge with as much equipment as they could carry. Fresh orders were received, to move to Wellington Ridge which they did arriving in a bivouac area at midnight. Early the next day the Turks shelled the area which was under the full observation of the Turkish gunners. The records show that Joseph was promoted to Corporal on the 19th August 1915.

Orders were given as part of the attack on Hill 60 which had started on the 21st August, for the Regiment to support the New Zealander Mounted Rifles who held part of Hill 60. A jumping off point in shallow trenches on the left of the New Zealanders was allotted. The object was to take 150 yards of Turkish trench, about 80 yards distant. The assault was made in two lines, the first with bayonet and bomb and the second carrying picks and shovels in order to consolidate the position. Again, I do not have any evidence to show in which part of the assault Joseph was, but the records show he was with his unit; I do not think it likely he could be on cook house fatigues. The assault went in and they quickly overran the Turks’ trenches, who were not prepared for the attack. The second line swiftly arrived and started to deepen the trenches which were only 4 feet deep. A frontal counter attack was fought off but enfilade fire from the Turks soon started to cause casualties to mount.

The Turks were driven back, their dead lay in heaps around the disputed trench. Losses in the Regiment were substantial, but they held this important part of the front line. Another counter attack followed that night with many bombs being thrown but still they held the line with bomb and rifle. Over 3000 bombs were used by the Regiment from this position. The Regiment had gone in with 180 men but they were down to 70 men following this action. They remained for a further 10 days and nights digging in, bombing and sniping until exhausted they were relieved from Hill 60 by the Northampton Regiment. A rest area at the Spur was followed by a move up the slope as the 3rd Light Horse Brigade joined them at the base, at what became known as the Canterbury Slope. From here the Regiment formed working parties for digging trenches.

On the 25th September 1915 Joseph was taken to the 3 Light Horse Field Ambulances with diarrhoea; he was then moved on the 2nd October 1915 to the Hospital Ship Gascon suffering from enteritis. Whilst recovering in Gibraltar, Joseph writes to his brother in the last paragraph he comments on the terrible events that took place on the 7th August.

‘I saw the English papers on October 4th they have published the official account of our charge against the Turks on August 7th. The account is fairly accurate except in one particular and that is the bombardment. Had they bombarded as Captain Bean said we might have got their line of trenches but as it was they gave us no chance. Apparently we did some good in keeping the Turks engaged but the losses were horrible 200 of our regiment went over the parapet and not 50 returned untouched.’


He then is transported by Hospital Ship Guildford Castle to Southampton, which meant that he left the Dardanelles behind forever. Arriving in Southampton on the 5th December 1915, it took a period of three months to re-gain his strength.
After the evacuation of Gallipoli in December 1915 the 10 LH returned to Egypt. In the February of 1916 the Australian Government doubled the size of the AIF from 20,000 to 40,000 men. This was done by taking 50% of each regiment, to form a new regiment, with each half unit being made up to strength by reinforcements. This, of course, had a major effect of the cohesion and morale of the various regiments. For Joseph being in the UK meant that he was posted from the 10 LH to the new 4th Division, not as mounted infantry but to join the artillery as part of the Division Artillery Column (DAC). The 10 LH stayed on in Egypt and fought its way up through Gaza being the first allied troops to enter Jerusalem under General Allenby.

Details cannot be found of how Joseph was injured, but his medical records show that he was wounded on the 26th September and moved to 1 ANZAC Casualty Clearing Station with gun shot wounds to his right arm. He was then moved to the 2nd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station before his final journey to the 50 General Hospital in Rouen, France, arriving on the 4th October 1917. It was on this day that he died of his wounds and was buried on the 6th October by the Rev G.M. Wither CF AIF in the St Sever Cemetery extension Rouen.

After the war his mother was sent his medals (1914 /15 Star, British War medal and the Victory medal) and was awarded a small pension of £2.13.9 per fortnight.

His name is recorded on several war memorials, I can state that I have seen it on the following memorials:

10th Light Horse Memorial – Kings Park Perth WA (appendix 2) shown as a Trooper.

Western Australian Memorial – Kings Park Perth WA (appendix 3) shown under the Corps of Artillery.

War Memorial Mullewa WA (appendix 4).

Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour panel No16 Canberra. (appendix 5).

In the town of Mullewa, the towns’ people acknowledge him along with those other men from the town in their annual ANZAC Service on the 25th April.

JPC was keen on photography and his travels in Australia are record in an album which is on display in the Museum of Western Australia Perth WA. I also enclose what I think must have been the last letters sent form my Grandmother to her beloved brother and from him to her. The main subject is his last letter is about his photographs and his desire for her not to send any more beans, as the Army had plenty of them!

I can understand why the British Government in 1914 did not really want the original AIF to arrive in winter of 1914/15 to be camped on a wet and windy Salisbury plain. It seems that the AIF were ready made to fight in the hot dry climate of the Mediterranean rather than the wet cold western front. The hard life that JPC had under taken in the period from 1910 to 1914 was the perfect training for the rigours that he and his fellow comrades were to meet at Gallipoli.

I am pleased that the Australian’s have seen fit to publish, the details of their service’s men histories and activities on the internet. This has allowed me to find out so much about my great uncle which otherwise may well have been lost to his family descendants. I can now understand why my grandmother did not want to talk about what had happened during this period of time, as, like most other families, hers had lost someone. However, it is a shame that the family is not aware, that he was at Gallipoli, fought at the Nek, Hill 60 and was to die at the battle of Passchendaele. In this 90th anniversary year of the Battle of Passchendaele we should all be very proud of him and reflect on the knowledge that he carried out his duty without question.


J ED

September 2007

Bibliography:

Westralian Cavalry in the War - Lt Col Olden DSO
The Gunners A history of Australian Artillery - David Horner.
Gallipoli the Fatal Shore - Harvey Broadbent
National Archives of Australia
The Australian Light Horse Association


Appendix
1. Country Cricket January 1914.
2. 10th Light Horse Memorial.
3. Western Australian Memorial WA.
4. War Memorial Mullewa WA
5. Australian War Memorial Canberra.
6. Letter JPC dated 23rd August 1917.
7. Letter Lillian dated 18 September1917.
























Ada Cutler (Mother), Ernest Cutler (Brother), Lillian Day Nee Cutler (Sister)
Joseph Cutler (JPC)
James Day (Son of Lillian)