Trevor Cusack
From The Space Library
Early member of the Manchester Interplanetary Society and later the Manchester Astronautical Association. Cusack was born in Halifax Yorkshire and educated at Audenshaw Grammar School. Cusack joined the MIS on November 19 1936 and attended all of the early rocket experiments conducted by the group. He also took on the role of photographer. In June 1937 he became Treasurer of the MIS. In January 1938 he resigned from the MIS along with Founder Eric Burgess and went off to form the MAA.
He went on to edit and publish the Bulletin of the MAA and he co-designed the MAA Stratoplane in June 1939.
In August 1939 he co-edited the first issue of Spacewards magazine a news bulletin for the MAA. This coincided with the demise of the Bulletin of the BIS which did not resume publication until after World War 2. Spacewards would go on to become the main news vehicle for the Combined British Astronautical Societies during the war.
Cusack studied as a Wireless operator and joined the British Merchant Navy in October 1940. His first voyage was as third radio operator traveling from Liverpool to New York aboard the merchantman "Oakcrest."
At 4.16 am on November 23rd 1940 his ship was straggling behind their convoy and was attacked by U-123 with one torpedo below the bow. The 5,400 ton steamer sank off the coast of Ireland in six minutes killing 35 of its 41 man complement, including the 19 year old Cusack who managed to reach a lifeboat but later died of his injuries and was buried at sea.
