Joseph’s occupation and marital status on enlistment, was detailed as a Labourer who was married to Amelia Flynn and resided at Bungendore, New South Wales.
- Date of Birth – 1882 in Temora, NSW.1NSW Birth Death and Marriages, https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/ Birth – 17060/1882 Parents Ralph and Susan, Registered in Temora. Accessed 10 April 2024.
- Family. Parents – Ralph Hush Jnr (1843-1896) and Susan Stephens (1852-1931). Joseph married Amelia Flynn.
- Enlisted – 1 May 1916. Unit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A40 Ceramic on 7 October 1916.2University of NSW AIF project https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=147987. Accessed 24 March 2024.
- Regimental Number – 2669.3National Archives of Australia. https://www.naa.gov.au/. NAA: B883, Hush, Joseph John, Item ID – 6928249. Accessed 10 April 2024.
- Aged at embarkation – 34 years and 7 months.
- Military service – 55th Battalion, 6th Reinforcement. Rank – Private.4Virtual War Memorial Australia, https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/167401. Accessed 10 April 2024. 5Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R2007379. Accessed 10 April 2024. Joseph was awarded the British War Medal, and the Victory Medal.
- Returned to Australia on 23 June 1919, having served with the 55th Battalion.
- Died – 4 December 1939 at Young, New South Wales, Australia.6NSW Birth Death and Marriages, https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/ Death 25033/1939, Parents Ralph and Susan Registered in Young. Accessed 10 April 2024.
- Buried – Roman Catholic area of the Young Lawn Cemetery, New South Wales.7Find a Grave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/123570971/joseph-john-hush. Accessed 10 April 2024.
Joseph was the eldest son of Ralph Hush Jnr (1843-1896) and Susan Stephens (1852-1931) who had eleven children – Emma; Annie; Ada; Edith; Joseph John; William; Ralph; Thomas; Ethel; James and Percy. Susan next married Owen Hughes (1859-1929) in 1901, who came to Araluen when dredging began. Joseph married Amelia Flynn (1890-1980),8Find a Grave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/123570964/amelia-hush. Accessed 30 April 2024. in 1910, and they had two children Owen George and Elizabeth (Betty).
Joseph’s brother, Percy Alfred Hush was killed in action on 29 May 1917, while serving with the 35th Battalion and is buried in the Strand Military Cemetery, Plot 1, Row D, Grave 10. ‘Pte. Percy Alfred Hush, of Araluen has been killed in action at the front. He was 23 years of age. Two brothers … Ptes. J. J. Hush, and Thomas Hush are at the front’, the Goulburn Evening Penny Post9Goulburn Evening Penny Post (NSW : 1881-1940), Tuesday 19 June 1917, p 4. reported in June 1917.
Joseph’s brother, Thomas Hush was killed in action on 18 November 1917, while serving with the 9th Machine Gun Company and has no known grave. Thomas’ name appears on Panel 31, Menin Gate, Ypres.10Virtual War Memorial Australia, https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/205515. Accessed 23 March 2024.
The Goulburn Evening Penny Post11Goulburn Evening Penny Post (NSW : 1881-1940), Saturday 18 May 1918, p 1. reported in May 1918 ‘Mrs. (Amelia) Hush, of Ingledow, (Bungendore) received word from Base Records on Tuesday morning that her husband, Private J. J., (Joseph John) Hush, was gassed in a recent engagement in France.’
In August 1919, the Braidwood Dispatch12Braidwood Dispatch and Mining Journal (NSW : 1888-1889; 1895; 1897-1954), Friday 29 August 1919, p 2. reported ‘The welcome home to the Araluen soldier boys on Tuesday night last in the Federal Hall was a brilliant success … evidence in itself that Araluen is proud of its khaki heroes, and knows how to “spar up” when a warrior comes home … The soldiers present were: Sergt. C. J. Batty, Gunner A. Collins, and Ptes. W. Harman and J. J. Hush. The mothers present (Mrs. [Susan] Hughes and Mrs. [Mary] Collins) occupied seats on the platform beside their soldier sons … About 3 a.m. the last of the dancers streamed from the hall, and thus ended one of the most successful welcome home functions ever held at Araluen.’
The Goulburn Evening Penny Post13Goulburn Evening Penny Post (NSW : 1881-1940), Wednesday 20 December 1939, p 4. 14Braidwood Dispatch and Mining Journal (NSW : 1888-1889; 1895; 1897-1954), Friday 22 December 1939, p 2. published an obituary in December 1939 ‘The death occurred at the Young District Hospital recently of Mr. Joseph John Hush, aged 57. He was a son of the late Mr Ralph Hush, who went to Temora in the gold mining days. During the Great War, Mr Hush served with the 55th Battalion and was an active member of the Young sub-branch of the RS. League. On his return from the war he engaged in fruit growing, and was a director of the Young District Producer’s Co-op. Society, Ltd. He was married to Miss Amelia Flynn, of Young, who survives him. In addition to one son, George [Owen] and one daughter, Betty, of Waterview; one brother, William, of Goulburn, and also three sisters, Mrs.(Ada) Hobby, of Araluen, Mrs (Gert Ethel May) Strudwick and Mrs (Emma) McNeil, of Sydney. Two brothers were killed at the war. … Returned soldiers, as a mark of respect for their old comrade, formed up outside the cemetery gates and marched to the graveside.’