[1] Cousens was part of a special Armistice Day broadcast on 2GB in 1933, one of the station's "soldier announcers" who spoke about their previous war experience.

[10] At the onset of World War II, Cousens was appointed captain in the Second Australian Imperial Force in 1940 and posted to the 2/19th Battalion.

Following the AIF inadvertently revealing to the Japanese that Cousens was a radio announcer, he was transported to Japan from a prison camp in Burma.

[1] He also worked on the propaganda program The Zero Hour where he chose Iva Toguri, an American woman with Japanese heritage, who he reportedly colluded with to undermine the broadcasts.

[12] After the Japanese surrendered, Cousens's arrest was ordered by General Douglas MacArthur and he was brought back to Australia on a British aircraft carrier.

"[14] After his arrival in Sydney, Cousens was admitted to the Yaralla Military Hospital, while placed under close arrest, to undergo routine treatment as a recovered prisoner of war.

[16] In May 1946, Cousens' case was referred to New South Wales Minister for Justice Reg Downing after it had been considered by the Commonwealth Crown Law Department.

"[18] Legal and military authorities had intended to court martial Cousens but instead they waited until after the magistrate's inquiry to strip him of his commission in January 1947.

[3] According to an army spokesman, at the cancellation of his commission Cousens reverted to being a civilian and was no longer entitled to refer to himself by his former rank as he was now considered "plain Mr.

[1] In April 1947, the men of the 2nd/19th battalion selected Cousens to lead them in Sydney's Anzac Day parade in the absence of their commanding officer.

[20] However, because Cousens had been stripped of his commission, he was not permitted to wear his service ribbons but he defiantly wore a sprig of rosemary as well as a Legion of Ex-Serviceman badge.

[20] In August 1949, he was a defence witness for Toguri before she was sentenced to ten years jail after a jury found her guilty of one charge of making treasonable broadcasts to American troops.

[27] In April 1950, Cousens gave evidence before the Federal Conciliation Commissioner to support a claim by the Announcers and Actors' Equity for a new award.

[1] After having one daughter together, Cousens divorced Allen and married divorcee Winifred Grace James née Dettman on 23 December 1938 in the registrar-general's office in Sydney with whom he had one son.

[1] At the time of his death, Cousens' stepdaughter (Winifred's daughter from her previous marriage) Judy-Ann Everingham (née James) was a television presenter at ABC TV in Sydney where she hosted Woman's World and anchored special telecasts.