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Joseph William Cooper - Information

Joseph William Cooper was born in Campbelltown c1883. When war broke out, he was working as a carter and living in Gympie, Queensland with his wife, Ellen. Joseph then enlisted in Brisbane on the 16th of February 1916. He was designated to the 49th Battalion as a Private, and left Brisbane on the HMAT Boorara on the 16th of August 1916.

Joseph landed in England in October 1916, and was marched into the 13th Training Battalion Depot at Woolwich. On the 17th of November, he was stationed at No. 4 Signal Group at Codford. After specialist training, Joseph was shipped to France in November 1917. He was then transferred to the 42nd Battalion. After a brutal winter in the wet and cold lines in Belgium, the men were given some rest out of the lines. In March 1918, they were rushed back into action when the Germans attacked their front following the launch of their Spring Offensive. The 42nd were positioned to the old Somme battlefield to defend the rail junction of Amiens. They were successful, and advanced onwards to Hamel in May. The 42nd then participated in the Allied Offensive commencing with the Battle of Amiens on the 8th of August, leading to the Allies breaking through the Hindenburg Line at the St Quentin Canal in late September. The following month, he was transferred to the 41st Battalion on the 23rd of October. Joseph survived the war and left England on the 10th of May 1919 aboard the Wahehe bound for Australia.