They Hosed Them Out

A classic Australian war novel, inspired by the author’s experiences as an airgunner in the Second World War. This new, revised and annotated edition includes chapters never before published, a fascinating biography of John Bede Cusack by his daughter, Kerry McCouat, and an informative introduction by editor Robert Brokenmouth. ‘A shocking, authentic little masterpiece of men at war.’ – Australian Book Review ‘One of three outstanding books about the air war that have been written by Australians.’ – Ross Campbell, Daily Telegraph ‘In language and content this book of an Australian airgunner’s war is strong meat. But it bears on every page the stamp of authenticity and can be thoroughly recommended for the graphic, unblinkered insights it gives into the author’s three years’ experience in RAF bombers …this vivid, often brutal book …is vastly entertaining, with many humorous passages — and some sultry ones, too, on the amatory side of life in wartime England.’ – Leslie Jillett, Sydney Morning Herald ‘The author is a natural writer with a flair for belly-jolting realism …He is a real image Aussie, tough, ribald, amused by discipline, a colossal womaniser and a mighty man for the grog and all this comes over hot and salty .
..It brings the almost ignored sacrifice of the airgunners before the reading public with a savage poignancy.’ – Derek Whitelock ‘…it proves vividly what I think it sets out to prove – that war is degradation. That this is achieved not from the viewpoint of a pacifist but from the viewpoint of a man who despised the philosophy of his enemy, adds to its stature.’ – Ivan Southall

Author Biography

John Bede Cusack was born on 22 February 1908 in West Wyalong, a country town in New South Wales. John finished his education at Christian Brothers, Waverley, in the late 1920s. In 1933 John saw an advertisement for sales work at Electrolux. He got the job.

One day in 1939, when John was in Grafton establishing a couple of sales agents, he met two air force officers on a war recruiting campaign for the Royal Australian Air Forde (RAAF). John had given some thought to joining up, but couldn’t see any urgency. However, during a rather riotous night of drinking with the air force men, John and five others signed up. Two months later, when the call-up papers hadn’t come through, he went down to the RAAF headquarters at Rushcutters Bay in Sydney. Strangely, they had no record of his enlistment. The clerk simply asked him if he wanted to join up, and the answer was ‘yes’. He was accepted on the spot.

After training in Australia, being ‘volunteered’ as an Air Gunner and travelling to England, he started flying in March 1942. His wartime activities from then on are, of course, the inspiration for They Hosed Them Out. After many operations over Europe he had his last flight on 1 September 1944.

John arrived back in Sydney in December 1944. Robert Brokenmouth is a war historian who has edited books published by Wakefield Press, including They Hosed Them Out and 101 Nights.