The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (1608) Private William John Moore, 20th Battalion (Infantry), First World War

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial every day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Andrew Smith, the story for this day was on (1608) Private William John Moore, 20th Battalion (Infantry), First World War.

1605 Private William John Moore, 20th Battalion
KIA 28 July 1916
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 28 July 2013

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private William John Moore.

William Moore was born in Port Fairy, Victoria, but was a long way from Australia in 1914 when war was declared. He had enlisted in the Navy in 1911, which took him to Portsmouth, England, for two years. After returning to Sydney on HMAS Australia, he left the Navy and went to America for a period, working on a Norwegian steamer as a fireman. He was the only man from the British Commonwealth on board, but was able to keep up with current events. He felt sure that England would be drawn into the war with Germany, and would want every man she could get. Knowing that at least part of that manpower would come from Australia, Moore tried to volunteer at the first port his steamer came to, Panama, but could not be accepted for military service in a neutral country. So he returned directly to Australia to enlist in Sydney, where he was in time to be accepted for the first reinforcements to the 20th Battalion.

Despite his enthusiasm to contribute to the war effort, Moore's path to participation was slow. His battalion arrived on Gallipoli on 22 August, just weeks after the last major offensives. Perhaps frustrated by this, Moore struggled with military discipline in the period between leaving Gallipoli and playing an active role in France. Once the 20th Battalion first experienced fighting on the Western Front in the trenches around Armentieres, Moore played a positive role.

In July 1916, shortly after the capture of the village of Pozières, the 20th Battalion was ordered into the front lines to participate in the capture of the O.G. Lines, two strong German trenches that threatened the new Australian positions in the village. The 20th Battalion struggled to find a way through the German wire defences, and suffered many casualties.

Moore survived, but a few days later, he was part of a party carrying bombs up to the front line. While crossing no-man's land in the dark he was hit by a shrapnel shell and killed instantaneously. In the darkness and confusion of the battlefield his body was lost. He has no known grave but is instead remembered at the Australian Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on your left, along with around 60,000 others from the First World War.

This is but one of the many stories of courage and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private William John Moore, and all those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.