Joseph Edward Thomas CATRON, MC

Joseph Catron was born at Kilmore in 1891 to William and Emily (nee Parslow) Catron. When he enlisted in October 1914 he was already a married man with two daughters. He was employed as a commercial traveller for the firm of Bright & Hitchcock, drapers of Geelong. He gave his previous experience as two years with the Junior Cadets from 1908 and later with the Senior Cadets where he became a Captain. He possibly enlisted at the same time as his brother, William, who was killed in action on the Western Front in 1917.

He left with the 8^th Battalion in October of 1914 bound for the Gallipoli Peninsula. He was appointed Lieutenant in February 1915. Joseph sustained a gunshot wound to the left knee in May 1915 and was subsequently evacuated to Malta for treatment.  A Medical Board in December 1915 found him to have a weakness of the left knee but “capable of performing home service”. He was placed on the supernumerary list and repatriated to Australia.

Once Joseph recovered from his wounds he re-enlisted and embarked from Melbourne aboard the “Ayrshire” in early July 1916 to rejoin the 8^th Battalion, now in France. Promoted to Captain he was awarded the Military Cross in September 1917, announced in the London Gazette dated 27^th October 1917, “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in leading his company to the final objective in an attack. He showed great skill in selecting positions  and encouraged his men under heavy shell-fire. The success of the operation was in a great measure due to his courage and initiative”.

In October 1917 he was wounded in action in Belgium. Joseph resigned his commission with the AIF in late 1917 having been appointed Commissioner with the British Army in India.

Joseph was awarded the British War Medal, the 1914/15 Star and the Victory Medal as well as the prestigious Military Cross. He is commemorated on the Kilmore Honour Roll. On return to Australia Joseph became a primary school teacher. When he enlisted in World War 2 he was headmaster at Newhaven Special School on Phillip Island. He rose the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, though does not appear to have served overseas during that time.

Compiled by Kilmore Historical Society. Photo courtesy AWM.