Lieutenant Joseph William COSTIN Clicking on Photo will return to Page C - D

COSTIN Lieutenant Joseph William Machine Gun Officer, 9th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force Born 1st September 1891, in Graceville, Brisbane, Queensland [Birth certificate 91/01028, Qld] Educated: Brisbane Grammar School, Brisbane, Queensland Single; Electrical engineer / Telegraphic engineer, of 'Inchbrakie', Fernberg Road, Paddington, Brisbane, Queensland Next of Kin listed as: Father; Charles William Costin. Mother; Ellen O'Donnell Costin (nee Sutton), of 'Inchbrakie', Fernberg Road, Paddington, Brisbane, Queensland Photos of Lieutenant Costin are known to exist in the following locations: Anzac Memorial 1917 p263. BGS*. BGSM** Apr 1916 p22. Sydney Mail 19 May 1915 p8

Killed in Action
25th April 1915
on the '400' (Lone Pine) Plateau
Aged 23






9th Battalion, A.I.F.

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No Known Grave

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Previously served in 7th Australian Infantry Regiment.
Only son. Father was Clerk of the Legislative Council of Queensland.

*'Annals of The Brisbane Grammar School.'
**Brisbane Grammar School Magazine

'The engagement is announced of Lieut. J. Costin (now on active service), son of Mr C.W. Costin, and Miss Viola Larsen, elder daughter of Lieut-Colonel Larsen, of the Queensland Railway Department.' (Brisbane Grammar School Magazine Vol. XVII No. 49, Apr 1915 p40).

Battalion Machine Gun officer; CWGC lists date of death as 25th/28th April, but Bean is very specific in his account of the first day of the attack:

'The fire upon the crest of Lone Pine was now almost beyond endurance. ...One after another, Salisbury's officers fell. Captain Melbourne was badly wounded in the head; Lieutenant Chambers was hit; some distance from them Lieutenant Costin, bravely holding his isolated position on the crest, was killed by a shell that destroyed one of his machine-guns.' (Bean V1 p378, 379, 380, [381 quoted]).

'Salisbury again advanced a little, close to Costin's position, and remained there for the greater part of the day. The fire was now almost unbearable. Captain Melbourne was badly wounded in the head; Lieutenant Chambers was also hit, and Costin was killed by a shell which destroyed one of his machine-guns. He and his sergeant, Steele, when the rest of the section became casualties, had continued to work one of his guns, and when Costin fell, Steele carried the remaining gun to Haymen's party in the gun-pits.' (Harvey p52).

'About 12 o'clock, I came across the Queensland Machine Gun Section of the 9th Battalion. They were putting up a magnificent fight, and drawing the fire of guns and machine guns on to themselves all the morning. There were only Bob Luckett and Lieutenant Costin left in the section when I joined it, and if ever two men deserved the D.S.O. then those two did. Luckett was alone working the gun, and Lieutenant Costin was range-finding for him, and keeping up the supply of ammunition. I saw Luckett knock over 50 or 60 Turks at 1,400 yards in one 'bang' so Costin must have got him the exact range. Then Luckett was wounded in the leg, and Costin took the gun himself until he was wounded.' (Tpr S.G. Millar, Brisbane Grammar School Magazine Vol. XVII No. 50, Aug 1915 p16).

'Joe Costin did great work with his machine gun. Up till the time that the first batch of wounded were brought away, all of his men had been shot down, and he and his Sergeant-Major were firing two guns themselves.' (Lieut. H.A. Maunder, Brisbane Grammar School Magazine Vol. XVII No. 50, Aug 1915 p16).

'A sergeant, who is at present in this hospital, told me that he was with the 9th, and was only a yard or so from Rigby when he was killed. He told me (I asked for particulars of the landing and the fight) a very vivid story, and that on that spot (pointing to drawing) a hero died, who earned the Victoria Cross if anyone ever did. He was in command of the machine gun section, and his name was Costin.' (H.V. Justelius, Australian Hospital, Cairo. Letter; Brisbane Grammar School Magazine Vol. XVII No. 50, Aug 1915 p16).

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