Peter Casserly
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Peter Casserly (January 28, 1898 – June 24, 2005) was the last surviving member of the 1st AIF serving in France in World War I. At the time of the death, he was believed to be the oldest living Australian male and his marriage to Monica Delgrado was also believed to be Australia's longest.
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[edit] Early Years 1898-1917
Casserly was born in Perth. His Irish-born father had moved to Western Australia in search of gold but ended up working for the railways and on the wharves, barely earning enough to put food on the table for his 11 children.
He attended the Christian Brothers College in Perth until he left school at 13 to become a blacksmith's apprentice and was working at the blacksmiths when World War I commenced. Casserly later worked as a fireman for the West Australian Railways in 1917 when he saw an advertisement by the Australian army for experienced railwaymen to serve in France and enlisted on St Patrick's Day.
[edit] World War I service 1917-1919
Casserly was sent to a training camp in Melbourne before leaving for France. When his troop carrier, the Ascanius, was moored off Fremantle he was refused permission to say goodbye to his mother so he sent her a message in a bottle which was found and sent to her.
On arrival in France, he was sent to the Somme where he served as an armed guard with the 2nd Transport Unit. The trains to and from the battlefront were subject to frequent bombardment from the Germans. Casserly served with the 2nd, 5th and 16th Railway Transport Units in Belgium and France. He also served as a sapper supporting Australian and British forces fighting in Ypres, Armentières and Amiens.
After the ceasefire Casserly was involved in cleaning up until his discharge on September 11, 1919. After the war he made a decision never to serve in the armed forces again. He only attended two Anzac Day marches in his life - the second in 1917 and in 2004 when he was driven as the guest of honour.
[edit] Remainder of Life 1919-2005
Casserly returned to Fremantle after the war, where he worked as a wharf labourer, timber worker, seaman, and fisherman. He started his own timber yard, then established a cray fishing service. Casserly won a Royal Humane Society bravery award for saving a man from drowning.
Casserly married Monica Delgardo, born in the Philippines, in 1923. The couple had two sons. Their marriage lasted for 80 years and is believed to be Australia's longest nuptial union ending in 2004 when Monica died. The couple lived for many years in the White Gum Valley near Perth in a home that Casserly built. After they both turned 100 the couple moved into the Craigville Gardens in Melville, Western Australia.
Casserly was awarded the 80th anniversary armistice medal in 1999 and was part of a contingent of surviving veterans to tour the Western Front in 1993. Although fifty Australian servicemen received the Légion d'honneur, Casserly did not, because he had hit an officer whom he felt was treating him badly. John Howard presented him with a Centenary Medal in 2001 in honour of the 100th anniversary of Australian Federation.
[edit] References
- [1] Sydney Morning Herald obituary, 25 June 2005
- [2] De-Anne Kelly, Minister for Veteran Affairs media release 24 June 2005
