The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (2454) 2nd Lieutenant John George Cosson, 48th Battalion AIF, First World War.

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Emily Hyles, the story for this day was on (2454) 2nd Lieutenant John George Cosson, 48th Battalion AIF, First World War.

2454 2nd Lieutenant John George Cosson, 48th Battalion AIF
KIA 7 August 1916

Today we remember and pay tribute to 2nd Lieutenant John George Cosson.

John Cosson was born on 8 April 1866 at Barnes, in London. He was the son of John Cosson senior and his wife Eliza. Affectionately known as “Jack”, he was eight years old when he arrived in Western Australia where his family settled and where he received his education. In his youth he trained as a tent and sail-maker and was a keen sportsman, participating in amateur boxing, swimming, running and cycling.

In 1896 he moved to Coolgardie where he opened a business making tents. There, he met Elizabeth Mackenzie, who he married in 1900. The couple had five children together before relocating to Kalgoorlie where John opened a business as a turf commission agent. Shortly after, he relocated to the coastal city of Fremantle where he was working as a tobacconist at the outbreak of the war in August 1914.

Cosson was 49 years old when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on the 12th of May 1915. He was assigned to the 16th Battalion and embarked for active service from Fremantle in June 1915 on board the troopship Chilka.

Private Cosson arrived on Gallipoli in August, joining his unit just before a series of attacks. His first major battle took place at Lone Pine, just days after his arrival on the peninsula. Australians and New Zealanders attacked Turkish defensive positions on 6 August 1915. When they reached the enemy lines, advancing troops encountered trenches that had been covered with pine logs, offering protection to the enemy, and severely hindering the Australian advance. Troops were forced to break through the log roof, often engaging the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. Though the main objective was taken within 20 minutes, four days of intense fighting followed, costing more than 2,000 Australian casualties.

Among these casualties was Private John Cosson, who was wounded to his left thigh on the second day of the battle. His injuries were such that he was evacuated from the peninsula and transported to the 2nd Australian General Hospital in Cairo, where he remained for two months. He re-joined his unit on Gallipoli in October, where the 16th Battalion was involved in defending the allies’ front lines. It was for his actions on Gallipoli that Private Cosson was later awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for leadership and patrol work in the front lines.

By the end of 1915, owing to the overall failure of the Gallipoli campaign, plans were underway for the allies to evacuate the Peninsula. Cosson was among those remaining on Gallipoli as units were slowly being withdrawn from the lines. On 15 December, he wrote in his diary: “There is something in the wind as men are being sent away in dribs and drabs. If the Turks knew how few men were here they would certainly have a go and would cause some trouble.”

Private Cosson was among the last men to leave the Australian positions on Gallipoli on 20 December 1915. He later wrote in his diary, “The great success of the whole evacuation speaks for itself when I believe 2 killed and 3 wounded were the only casualties. There is no doubt [the evacuation] will be handed down as one of the brainiest events of the war.”

Following their retreat from Gallipoli, he joined the rest of the AIF in Egypt, where on New Year’s Day 1916 he was promoted to the rank of corporal. In April, he was commissioned to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant before being transferred to the newly formed 48th Battalion during a period of re-structuring as the AIF expanded.

Cosson arrived in France with his new battalion in June 1916. His first major action on the Western Front was to take place around the French village of Pozieres where the allies were attempting to push the enemy back and capture the high ground.

On 7 August 1916, the 48th Battalion was under heavy shell fire as the enemy launched a counter-attack on their position. During the fighting, Lieutenant Cosson and his men captured ten enemy prisoners. He sent his men and the prisoners back into the trenches and returned to no man’s land. One hour later, he was hit by shell-fire and killed in action.

His comrade wrote to Cosson’s brother: “I don’t think there is an officer in the Australian Army better loved by his men or more game. I believe his mates say he did not know what fear was … you can tell his wife and children that he was a soldier.” John Cosson was 50 years old.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among almost 62,000 Australians who died while serving in the First World War.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember 2nd Lieutenant John George Cosson, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Meghan Adams
Researcher, Military History Section