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Joseph Duffy - Information

When the war commenced, Joseph was living in Balmain near his step sister Annie, and working as a carter. Joseph was born in Camden c1893. He grew up in the Camden area with his step-brother Maurice, before relocating to the city. Joseph decided to enlist in the AIF in Liverpool on the 23rd of January 1915, aged 21. During training, Joseph was assigned to the 1st Battalion as a Private. He then embarked Sydney onboard the HMAT Ceramic on the 25th of June 1915.

Joseph disembarked in Egypt, and shortly joined his unit at Gallipoli in early August. Shortly after he arrived at Anzac Cove, he was wounded in action between the 6th and 9th of August at Lone Pine. A bullet struck his face. On the 9th of August, he was invalided to Mudros on Lemnos Island. From here, he was evacuated to Alexandria and admitted to the No. 1 General Hospital in Heliopolis on the 14th. By September, he was enjoying some rest at the Convalescence Camp in Helouan. He was presently discharged to duty, returning to the 1st Battalion at Gallipoli later that month. In November, the weather turned particularly nasty as a blizzard hit the coast with heavy snowfall. These conditions afflicted the health of many of the troops. Consequently, Joseph reported to hospital on the 25th of November with jaundice. He was taken to the 1st Casualty Clearing Station, and then evacuated by Hospital Ship to a Military Hospital in Malta. When he felt better, he was transported to England at the end of March 1916. Here, Joseph wanted to blow off some steam. In June, he was admitted to the General Hospital in Bulford with venereal disease. In August, he was charged with drunkenness, while completing training exercises, and went AWL in early December. Towards the close of 1916, Joseph contracted the mumps, and was subsequently admitted to hospital on Boxing Day. By 1917 he had recovered, but unfortunately, while on leave contracted venereal disease, reporting to Parkhouse for treatment in late February. On the 3rd of May, Joseph left Folkestone for France. He was taken to Etaples Base, and later reunited with the 1st Battalion. Joseph and his mates then participated in operations during the Third Battle of Ypres in Belgium. Here, he was wounded in action a second time on the 21st of September 1917. Caught in an artillery blast, fragments penetrated his left arm, left thigh, side and right hip. He was initially treated for his wounds at the 2nd Canadian General Hospital in Le Treport. A week later, he was evacuated to England and admitted to hospital in Colchester. In January 1918, he was moved to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford. He was considered unfit for active service due to his wounds and was also diagnosed with disordered action of the heart from combat stress. He was then invalided back to Australia in mid March 1918.