DEMETRIUS GEORGE COSADINOS
28 November 1889 - 19 September 1916
At School 1900 - 1902
Pte 6496 8th South African Horse
Demetrius was born in Chorlton-cum-Hardy and, in 1891, was living at 100 Wilbraham Road, Chorlton, with father George, a Cloth Merchant and Greek National, mother Elizabeth, older sisters Kalee and Elene, one domestic servant and two live-in nurses, one medical and one domestic. George had married Elizabeth in 1885 and in 1895 was granted British Citizenship. It may have been that George was unwell to have a nurse, but two more children, Sotirios and Erene were born before George died in March 1898 aged 56. Elizabeth took over the family business and by 1901 had moved to 77 Claremont Road, Moss Side retaining one domestic servant but no nurses. By 1911 Demetrius, aged 21, had left home, which was then 96 Plymouth Grove, Chorlton on Medlock, where Elizabeth, no longer a Cloth Merchant, was taking in three boarders, whilst the three older children were working and Erene was at school.
At some time Demetrius appears to have travelled to South Africa as in May 1916 he enlisted in the 8th South African Horse, and on 30th June 1916 left Durban aboard the troopship "Professor" disembarking at Kilindini, Mombasa on 10th July to join the campaign in German East Africa.
The main objective for the German forces in East Africa was to make Allied Governments keep military supplies in Africa rather than send them to Europe. By threatening the British Uganda Railway, the German commander, von Lettow-Vorbeck, hoped to force British troops to invade German East Africa, where he could fight a defensive action. In 1916, General J C Smuts was given the task of defeating Lettow-Vorbeck and in March began the invasion of German East Africa. By the end of August the British had advanced to and taken control of the German Central Railway and the townships of Kilosa and Morogoro.
The Germans had adopted a policy of withdrawal rather than direct engagement of the numerically superior British/ South African forces, but following the surrender of Dar-es-Salaam to the Royal Navy on 4th September, Lettow-Vorbeck decided to make a stand in the easily defended Uluguru Mountains to allow his supplies to move south before going there with his main force. The Germans prepared defensive positions outside the town of Kisaki, with 2,000 troops in position and in reserve. On 7th September the 3rd South African Infantry Division conducted a frontal attack but this was repulsed mainly due to field artillery and 4.1 inch guns salvaged from SMS Konisberg, a German Light Cruiser which had been disabled by the Royal Navy in the Rufiji Delta, 120 miles south of Dar-es-Salaam. The plan had been for the mounted division to be able to flank the German forces while the 3rd Infantry Division attacked but the rugged terrain and loss of radio communication with the infantry caused them to arrive a day late. They attacked on this day but the German reserve was positioned to strike the cavalry with artillery and rifles, and the assault failed.

withdrew from Kisaki on 14th September at which time the British forces entered the town. The wounded were found and "released" and Demetrius' service card shows he was "wounded in the left thigh and breast - severe". Unfortunately Demetrius succumbed to his wounds on 19 September 1916 and taken to Morogoro, where he was buried in Morogoro Cemetery.

THE HULMEIAN - December 1917
Died of wounds on September 19, 1916, in East Africa, Demetrius George, South African Horse, aged 26, eldest son of the late George Demetrius Cosadinos, and Mrs Cosadinos of Manchester.