Early Years 1898-1917
Casserly was born in Perth, Western Australia. 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.
Casserly attended the Christian Brothers College in Perth until he left school at 13 to become a blacksmith's apprentice, and was working at the blacksmith's when World War I commenced. In 1917, he was working as a fireman for the West Australian Railways when he saw an advertisement by the Australian army for experienced railwaymen to serve in France, and he enlisted on Saint Patrick's Day.
Read more about this topic: Peter Casserly
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